


Flying Into The Sun

by BlackMyst



Category: IT - Stephen King
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University(sort of), Alternate Universe - No Pennywise (IT), Angst, Bill Denbrough and Bev Marsh are cousins, F/M, Flower Shop AU(sort of), Georgie Denbrough Still Died(only mentioned), M/M, Oblivious Bill Denbrough
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-05
Updated: 2021-01-20
Packaged: 2021-01-23 06:16:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 25
Words: 42,615
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21315544
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlackMyst/pseuds/BlackMyst
Summary: Bill Denbrough is new to town and Stan catches feelings but doesn't want to accept it. Bill is totally oblivious to Stan's feelings. Maybe their friends can help?
Relationships: Ben Hanscom/Beverly Marsh, Bill Denbrough/Audra Phillips, Bill Denbrough/Stanley Uris, Eddie Kaspbrak/Richie Tozier, Mike Hanlon/Original Character(s)
Comments: 49
Kudos: 132





	1. Threshold

**Author's Note:**

> I have a lot of ideas for this fic so bear with me. Tags are subject to change as I go along. Please feel free to share your thoughts!!

"Aww c'mon Stan! Richie and I have been looking forward to you coming with us! You can't just back out now." Eddie was leaning against the checkout counter and frowning at Stan. Normally Stan would chastise Eddie for standing around but it was the week after mothers day and the flower shop they both worked at was experiencing a lull in customers. Still, Stan tried to change the subject by using work as an excuse. 

"Eddie we have work to do. We can talk about this later." He tried to walk around his friend and head to the backroom to find something, anything, to get himself out of this conversation. Eddie moved to block his way. 

"Don't give me that crap Stan. You know as well as I do that we have done everything we can until our new shipment comes in tomorrow morning," he put his hands on his hips and stared hard at Stan, " You are just trying to get out of talking because you know that I know how much you have been wanting to see this movie. I'm not going to let you bail on us." Eddie raised his eyebrow at Stan and waited for him to say something. When he didn't, Eddie continued, "Just tell me whats going on Stan." 

Stan sighed and rubbed a hand over his eyes. "I just don't want to feel like a third wheel anymore." He dropped his hand from his face and saw Eddie's eyebrows had drawn together.  
"But you aren't a third wheel at all! I mean, I hope we haven't done anything to make you feel like you are." Eddie's voice matched the slightly confused look on his face. Stan could understand why he was confused. Eddie, Richie and he had been best friends since middle school but Eddie and Richie had only started dating fairly recently. 

Stan gently moved Eddie out of the way, "It's not that you guys are doing anything it's just that since you guys started dating there's a different vibe when we all hang out together." He went into the back room with Eddie following right behind him. " It's not even a bad thing it just reminds me that I don't have someone of my own, you know?" Stan kept his eyes ahead of him and grabbed a clean washcloth to start wiping off the already pristine counters. 

Eddie stood there watching Stan for a couple of minutes. He didn't bother pointing out to Stan that those counters had been cleaned an hour ago. He and Stan had been friends since 6th grade so Eddie knew that when Stan was feeling anxious or upset he liked to tidy even if everything was already spotless. Finally, after watching Stan scrub the same spot for three minutes Eddie broke the silence. 

"You know, I have a few friends from class that I could set you up with." He tried to sound as nonchalant as possible knowing how Stan would react. Sure enough, Stan whirled around, eyes wide. 

"Eddie, no. You know I don't want to be set up with some stranger! I want to meet someone naturally. Someone who's going to like me for who I am, not because you talked me up to them." Eddie opened his mouth, a mischievous glint in his eye, but Stan cut him off. " And before you say it, no, I wouldn't prefer to have Richie talk me up to anyone." 

"But if you don't want them to have high expectations wouldn't Richie the trashmouth be the perfect choice?" Eddie surprisingly made it through the whole sentence before he started laughing.  
After a few seconds, Stan joined his friend in laughter. Stan was glad that it hadn't gotten too awkward between them after admitting how he felt around his two best friends. Eddie, still chuckling, tried again to offer his services but Stan shut him down quickly. 

"Trust me, Eddie, it's fine. If there's someone meant for me then I will meet them when I meet them. I don't want to force anything." Just as Eddie was opening his mouth to try offering up another solution, the bell on the front door chimed, signaling a customer's arrival. Stan smiled widely at his friend and straightened his already impeccable shirt. "Saved by the bell. Sorry, pal." He stepped around a pouting Eddie to go into the main shop room and greet the first customer of the day.


	2. Bloom

If asked when things changed for him, Stan Uris would say that everything changed that day in May when he walked into the display room of the small town flower shop. The customer was turned away from the backroom looking at the greeting cards display. All Stan could see was smooth copper-colored hair and a long-sleeved blue shirt pulled over broad shoulders. He put a smile on his face and walked forward to greet the man.

"Hello, may I help you find--" he started to say when the man turned around and Stan's mouth forgot how to work. The red-headed man was gorgeous. He couldn't have been much older than Stan but something in his piercing blue eyes betrayed a sad sort of wisdom better fit for a much older person. Stan cleared his throat, "May I help you find anything?" The man smiled a small polite smile that made Stan's heart skip a beat.

"Y-yes hi. I'm ju-just looking for m-my cousin Bev. I was t-tuh-told I could find her here." His voice was pleasant to listen to even with the slight stutter. It took stan a second to process what the man had said but was saved by Eddie who had joined them in the display room.

"Beverly Marsh?" he asked brightly. When the man nodded Eddie continued, "She doesn't work here anymore. She got a job at the thrift store down the street, I don't know if she's working today but you could try there!" he smiled easily at the man.

"Oh thank y-you! It's been a while since I've been back in Derry and I wanted to surprise her." He directed all of this to Eddie but his blue eyes slid back to Stan who could feel his face heating up. _Oh God am I blushing?! Why am I blushing? _Stan thought in dismay, his eyes darted to the floor as he tried to gain his composure back. He heard Eddie start talking again and looked up at his friend and tried to avoid eye contact with the handsome man in front of him.

"Bev is a good friend of mine so it would be my pleasure to help you find her if she isn't working today! Maybe I could get her to meet me for lunch and you could join us?" Eddie was almost vibrating with excitement which made Stan smile. He knew how much Eddie loved planning surprises. The tall red-head smiled brightly causing the corner of his eyes to crinkle a little bit.

"That w-would be guh-great actually! Thank you so much," he paused and looked slightly embarrassed for a second, "I'm s-sorry I just realized I haven't asked for y-your n-names." His right hand reached up and rubbed at the back of his neck.

"My name is Eddie Kaspbrak and this here," he reached out and pulled Stan closer to him, "is my best friend Stanley Uris." Stan pulled away and straightened his shirt again, frowning disapprovingly at his friend.

"Just Stan is fine. Only my parents call me Stanley." he reached a hand out and the other man stepped forward to grasp it. 

"Bill Denbrough," he replied, locking his blue eyes with Stan's hazel ones, "It's nice to meet you, Stan." They stood there, hands clasped, for what felt like forever. The heat was crawling back up into Stan's face but he couldn't look away this time. It wasn't until Bill let go and stepped back that Stan realized he had been holding his breath. Bill shook Eddie's hand and they started working out what they wanted to do for Bev's surprise. Stan stood there not really listening and instead tried to figure out why he was getting so flustered. Was it just because Bill was so attractive? Stan wrote that thought off almost immediately. He had met a lot of very attractive people before, plenty of them even went to his college! So what was it about this specific guy that turned professional, composed Stan Uris into a blushing mess? While Stan was mentally wrestling with his own thoughts he didn't notice Eddie trying to talk to him. Both Eddie and Bill were staring at him, Bill with some concern and Eddie with a knowing smirk.

"Er... I'm sorry I didn't hear what you said." The blush was once again taking over his face and neck and Stan wished Eddie would stop smirking at him. Eddie winked at Stan and wiggled his eyebrows at him. It took all of his self-control not to look at Bill to see if he had noticed these not so subtle taunts.

"I _said _if you were cool with it I would go ahead and get things set in place for lunch with Bev and you could stay and finish up here since we close soon anyway." Eddie knew Stan would never agree to closing the shop early even on a day like today. He may be a bit pushy sometimes but Eddie really was a great friend. A wave of appreciation for his best friend suddenly crashed through Stan.

"Oh! Yeah sure, that's fine. I'll just text you when I'm done locking up and I'll meet you wherever." Stan smiled but promised to himself that he would get Eddie back for his teasing winks. Eddie nodded and smiled back before going into the backroom to grab his stuff. He and Bill turned to leave and Stan gave them a little wave as he slipped into the backroom. He sat down at the work desk and put his head in his hands. His brain was swimming with everything that had just happened. "What the hell is wrong with me?" He groaned and dropped his head onto the desk. He stayed that way for a few minutes then got up. _There is no reason to sit here and mope in my own thoughts. Might as well find something to keep me busy_. With his mind made up, Stan went back into the display room to sweep and dust. Nothing was really in need of cleaning but the action of cleaning always helped Stan get his thoughts in order. He was obviously attracted to this Bill guy but that didn't mean he had to go to pieces whenever they made eye contact. _Maybe I just need to get to know him more._ This thought made his pulse jump._ It's probably just because he's new in town. If I just talk to him at lunch maybe the novelty will wear off_. He pondered these thoughts while he meticulously cleaned the entire display room.

The next hour passed in a flash. Only one other person came in to put in an order and before he knew it, it was one o'clock and time to lock the store up. Stan texted Eddie to let him know he was done and without waiting for a reply he started to gather all his things together. He got the register closed out and made sure the lights were all off before locking the doors. Stan stood outside and read the message he had received. It was from a number he didn't recognize.

> |**Hey Stan it's Bill. Eddie asked me to text you because he's busy but we are meeting at The Clubhouse for lunch. Eddie said you would know where that is. See you soon!**

His breath had caught in his throat when he had seen who it was from and now his heart was pounding in his chest. _See you soon_. Those three words gave Stan butterflies in his stomach but he sent a text back right away.

> |**Thank you Bill! I do know where that is. I'll be there in 5 minutes**

He put his phone back in his pocket and took a few deep breaths to try to calm his nerves as he started walking down the street to the restaurant.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys enjoy chapter two!!


	3. Still In Motion

Stan enjoyed walking anywhere and everywhere he could. He had his own car that he had gotten when he was sixteen but only used it when the weather was bad or if he had to go out of town. He much preferred a slower form of transportation. Walking gave Stan a better sense of the world around him and helped him feel more grounded in reality. There was something so soothing about the steady beat of his footsteps, the gentle breeze on his face and in his hair. Not to mention it gave him a chance to observe the birds. Stan had loved birds for as long as he could remember and still carried the same bird identification book from when he was eleven. It was a bit battered now after almost ten years of use but it was battered in a loving and well-used way.

Stan thought about the birds on his short but needed walk to lunch. By the time he made it to the restaurant, he felt more level headed and relaxed. He stood across the street and took in the familiar view of The Clubhouse. It had been his and Eddie's favorite place for lunch since high school and now that they both worked just five minutes down the street they almost always got lunch from there. He crossed the narrow street and quickly looked through the large front window. There weren't many people inside now that the lunch rush was coming to an end but he couldn't see Eddie anywhere. Inside he was greeted by the usual soft music playing through the speakers. He caught a glimpse of red hair out of the corner of his and turned to find Bill walking towards him. Stan kept his face politely neutral and greeted the taller man as he reached him. He tried and barely succeeded in keeping his voice steady as his pulse jumped in his throat. If Bill noticed he didn't say anything about it.

"Eddie got us a t-table at the back. He s-said suh-something about me popping out of the b-bathroom and yelling 'SURPRISE' but I think I might just w-walk out normally." Bill rubbed the back of his neck which Stan was starting to understand as a nervous gesture. Stan, as someone who had been a part of too many Eddie Surprises to count, could understand how Bill was probably feeling.

"Yeah, Eddie really likes surprises. I remember a few years ago he was planning a birthday party for his boyfriend Richie and he was hell-bent on getting one of those giant cakes that people jump out of." He laughed at the memory and tried to ignore the small flutter in his chest as Bill chuckled with him.

"He wanted to j-juh-jump out of a cake?" Bill asked with an amused grin on his face. Stan really liked Bill's smile. It was slightly lopsided and Stan couldn't help feeling happy that he was the one to make him smile like that.

"No no no! He wanted _me_ to jump out of the cake!" They both started laughing at that and neither noticed Eddie as he joined them.

"Richie would have loved it and you know it!" Eddie's defensive voice made Stan and Bill laugh even harder. Eddie rolled his eyes at them but there was a smile on his lips. "Come along you chuckleheads. Bev is going to be here soon." He grabbed Stan's arm and pulled him to their table, Bill trailing behind them still grinning.

They spent the next ten minutes making sure that Bill could hear them from the bathroom and working out a good signal to let him know when to come out. Stan fell into working out the logistics of everything which was something he was especially good at. Bill was thanking them again for helping him surprise Bev when Eddie got a text letting him know that she was right down the street. The excited grin on Bill's face was so contagious Stan felt his own lips curving up just from looking at him. They all got into position, Bill in the bathroom waiting for his signal, Eddie sitting at the table, and Stan going back to the counter to put in their food orders. Instead of going back to the table and waiting for his name to be called, Stan waited at the front for Bev. It didn't take long before the door swung open to reveal the willowy figure of Beverly Marsh striding in, bringing a fresh spring breeze with her. The breeze blew a few strands of Bev's long auburn hair into her face. She absently pushed the hair back over her shoulder and smiled brightly at Stan as she walked towards him. Stan thought that Beverly Marsh had to be the most beautiful girl he had ever known, not just in looks but in personality as well. She hugged him quick and tight and he smiled easily at her when she pulled away.

"Hey, Stanny! I feel like I haven't seen you in a while." She gave him an exaggerated pout that he couldn't help chuckling at. She was right though. It had been at least a few weeks since he had seen her but it was only because her new job had her working opposing hours to him and they almost never had the same days off.

"My apologies Bev. Please allow me to make it up to you by buying you lunch." She knew that he had already ordered her usual but she played along with the charade. She tapped her chin as if to think it over before responding.

"Well, I _suppose_ that would be fine," she squinted slyly at him, "But we really need to make plans to hang out soon." He agreed with her and she joined him at the counter when his name was called. She looped her arm through his and they walked back to the table together. Eddie stood up to hug her and they all settled down into the chairs. Bev raised an eyebrow at Stan as he placed a fourth meal in front of the empty chair. "Is Richie here too?" Her question was aimed towards Eddie who shook his head. He shot a quick grin at Stan who had to focus on his drink to keep from laughing at the excitement on his friends' face.

"Richie isn't here but there is someone else who is going to join us." At that, the bathroom door opened and Bill came around the corner. Bev's mouth dropped open and she jumped up.

"Oh my god, Bill!" She hurried around the table to throw her arms around him, almost knocking him backward with the force of it. He laughed but hugged her back just as hard. Stan couldn't help the smile that stretched over his face. It was easy to see how much they had missed each other and it warmed his heart to see how happy Bev was to see her cousin. 

Stan and Eddie talked quietly to themselves to give Bill and Bev a chance to catch up a bit. Once they had finally taken their seats at the table, Bev threw her arm around Stan's shoulders and thanked him, even going as far as planting a kiss on his cheek. He grinned bashfully and patted the hand that was still on his shoulder.

"Thanks, Bev but it was actually all Eddie. He's the one that worked with Bill to set this all up." He looked at Eddie as Bev got up to give him the same 'thank you' she had given Stan. Eddie's face had gone pink but he was still smiling widely at her as she sat back in her spot. After the initial excitement had begun to die down a bit, they all settled into an easy conversation. Bev was especially curious about how this had all come to play out. Bill started by telling her about him moving and his plans to surprise her at the flower shop where he met Eddie and Stan. Eddie joined in with the story excitedly while Stan sat back to listen and munch on the food in front of him.

The conversation turned to Bev's new job and how she was liking it. She launched into a rant about her co-worker Gretta who was, in Bev's words, a 'spoiled rich girl who wouldn't know how to work if her life depended on it' but claimed the rest of the job was actually quite fun. Stan enjoyed sitting back and listening to his friends talking. He would add little comments here or there but mostly just observed. All his years of bird watching had made him an expert at listening and observing quietly. He was able to pick up on subtle cues that most people would probably look over. Little things like the way Eddie's eyes and voice would go softer whenever he talked about Richie. Or the way Bev would start using her hands when she would start talking about something she was particularly passionate about. All of his friends had little things they did depending on how they were feeling or what the topic of conversation was and all of these things were cataloged and stored in Stan's brain. So when Bev asked Bill if he was seeing anyone, Stan found himself once again noticing the nervous little neck rub he did and cataloged it into the brand new folder in his mind marked BILL.

Bill changed the subject quickly after answering Bev's question with a quiet 'no' and his eyes stayed fixed on the table while Eddie and Bev started reminiscing about high school. Stan found his eyes drifting back to Bill every few minutes. His eyes were still down but a small smile played on his lips as he listened to Bev's story involving Richie and a stray dog that they had found and snuck into school. Stan must have been staring for too long because Bill looked up and turned his eyes to Stan's. He probably should have felt embarrassed for getting caught but instead, he held Bill's gaze for a second then gave him a small smile. Bill smiled back before turning his attention back to the story. Was it just Stan's imagination that Bill's cheeks looked a bit pink? Maybe it was just the light? He didn't have time to contemplate what that might mean because Bev was standing up. She told them she had to get going so she could go get Ben from class. She hugged them each in turn and thanked both Eddie and Stan again. She called goodbyes to them as she left and then it was Eddie's turn to stand as well.

"Well, I have to go pick up Richie from work so that we can get ready for the movie tonight." He turned and glared at Stan. "You better be ready by seven Stan. You are going with us and I don't want to hear any more about it." He gathered his stuff and made sure Bill had his number before giving Stan one last glare and saying his goodbyes.

Now Stan was alone with Bill and he felt a bit awkward. He cleared his throat to say something but Bill beat him to it.

"I l-left my car parked at the f-fl-flower shop so I guess I sh-should probably get going t-too." He looked at Stan almost apologetically, as if he felt bad for leaving him here alone. But Stan had to walk back that direction anyway to get home so he offered to walk with Bill to his car. The idea shouldn't have given Stan as many butterflies as it did but he ignored the fluttering as they stepped out into the sunlight.

The walk was short but it gave Stan a chance to try talking to Bill a bit more. He asked if Bill was taking any college classes and found out that he was an English major. Bill was a writer which Stan thought was pretty cool. He offered his services of proofreading Bill's work or if he ever needed someone's opinion. All too soon they had reached the shop and Bill's car. They stood there in silence for a second but it didn't feel as awkward as before. Once again Bill was the first to break the silence.

"Thanks for w-walking back with me," he rubbed at his neck again but kept eye contact with Stan. "And thanks again f-for your help with lunch t-today." Stan started to wave him off but Bill continued. "There's a lot of p-puh-people who wouldn't have been as n-nice and helpful as you and Eddie w-were today. So thank you." Bill grinned at him and Stan knew that he would never get used to that smile.

"You're welcome Bill but really, it was nothing. Bev is one of our closest friends and you are her family which pretty much means you are our friend too." They stood there grinning at each other for just long enough to make Stan's ears to start to burn but then they were saying goodbye and Bill was getting into his car. Stan waved at him as he backed into the street and drove off in the opposite direction.

Stan felt somewhat lighter than usual as he walked home and for the first time, his thoughts weren't only on the birds singing around him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope everyone enjoys chapter three! I'm in the process of moving right now but I will try to get the updates out as soon as possible!


	4. These Days

Stan is ready to go by seven. In fact, he is ready by six forty-five. He always tries to be at least fifteen minutes early with anything just to be prepared for any delays that may happen. Both Eddie and Richie know this about Stan so when Eddie pulls up in front of his house five minutes early, Stan isn't surprised. He grabs his jacket off its hook and makes sure to lock the front door. Richie is practically hanging out of the passenger window when Stan turns to start towards the car.

"Hurry up Stan the Man! You want us to be stuck in the shitty seats or what?!" Richie's loud voice cuts through the quiet evening making Stan visibly cringe. He rolls his eyes and climbs into the back seat just in time to see Eddie yanking Richie back into the car. Eddie may be small but he is a lot stronger than he looks.

"How many times do I have to tell you not to hang out the window like that? Are you trying to fall on your head?" Richie doesn't seem to mind Eddie's scolding and just grins at him as he settles back into his seat. Eddie pulls away from the curb and starts driving down the street. The movie theater is only a few blocks from Stan's house but the movie will be getting out late enough that Stan would rather not have to walk home alone. Richie is still grinning at Eddie and as soon as they pull up to a red light he jumps at the chance to grab one of Eddie's hands with both of his and lean towards him.

"I love it when you get all fussy about my well-being Eds." He places loud and exaggerated kisses to the back of Eddie's hand and flutters his eyelashes at the smaller boy. Eddie tears his hand free in mock disgust and gives Richie a disapproving look that is completely ruined by the twinkle in his eyes and turned up corners of his mouth. Stan can't help his own smile while he watches them. It warms his heart that his two best friends have found something so special between them. They might bicker a lot but anyone who knows them can see just how much they love each other.

"Beep beep Richie I'm trying to drive." Eddie turns back to the road but gives Richie a small smile. Richie chuckles and turns around towards Stan who has been watching their exchange. Richie doesn't say anything and just stares at Stan over the shoulder of his seat. They sit there and stare at each other long enough to make Stan start to feel a bit uncomfortable. He squints suspiciously and opens his mouth to ask what Richie is doing but Richie chooses that moment to speak. His words make Stan freeze, his mouth still hanging open.

"So Eds tells me you have a crush on some new guy in town." The nonchalance in his voice feels out of place for how Stan's blood is now pounding in his ears. He barely registers that Eddie gasped and smacked Richie's arm. Stan's thoughts seem to be moving in slow motion as everything else has been turned to fast forward. Should he deny the supposed 'crush' or would that just make him look guilty? He hasn't even had a chance to assess how he might feel about Bill but he does know that it is far too soon to say he has a _crush _on him. They just met this morning how could he have a crush? He hardly even knows anything about him! Now is not the best time to get caught up in these thoughts, he can't just sit here and say nothing. He isn't sure how much time has passed but they are now parked across from the movie theater and Richie and Eddie are both looking at him. He clears his throat.

"I don't have a crush." Apparently his mouth is working on its own accord because he hadn't meant to say that, especially in such a defensive tone. "I mean he is attractive but I hardly know anything about him." He feels like he's talking too fast and too loud but he can't stop the words from coming out. "How could I have a crush on someone I just met?" Stan looks between his two friends and tries to ignore the knowing look on Eddie's face and the raised eyebrows on Richie's. After what feels like hours, Eddie finally breaks the silence.

"I know you don't have a _crush_ on him, I just told Richie that it seems like you might have found him attractive which apparently I was right." He smiles tentatively at Stan. "It's nothing to get so worked up over Stan." Of course, Eddie is right and Stan doesn't know why he was getting so nervous at just the mention of a possible crush on Bill. Stan lets out a breath he didn't know he was holding and returns the smile.

"You're right Eddie. I guess it's just been a while since I've been attracted to someone like this." Stan opens his door and gets out of the car which he uses as an excuse to end the conversation. Luckily, Eddie drops the subject as the three of them go into the theater together. They take their time picking out snacks but since Stan is only getting popcorn, he wanders away from his friends. His thoughts drift away from the upcoming movie posters he's looking at. He thinks about everything that has happened since his morning shift at the flower shop. It feels like too much has happened in too short a time and Stan is having trouble processing it all. He gets so lost in thought that he doesn't notice when Richie comes to stand next to him. He nearly jumps out of his skin when he feels Richie lean his arm against Stan's shoulder.

"Whoa, sorry pal. Didn't mean to scare you." Richie gives him a strange look, "You doing okay Stan? You're acting a bit weird...or I should say weird_er_ since you are already pretty weird as it is. I mean seriously, you always tuck in your shirts and that's weird Stanny. Sorry to be the one to tell you man, but it's the truth and as your friend, it's my duty to-" Stan uses his free hand to cover Richie's mouth to stop him from really getting going.

"Beep beep Richie. I'm fine. It's just been kind of an odd day that's all." He takes his hand back before Richie can lick his palm. It's happened before and Stan really doesn't want to deal with that right now. "And there's nothing wrong with wanting to look presentable Richie. Maybe you should try it sometime." He gives Richie a disapproving once-over and though Stan actually likes Richie's style, he would never give him the satisfaction of telling him. Richie snorts loudly and pushes his glasses back up the bridge of his nose.

"If I ever start tucking in my shirts just put me in a coffin and bury me because I would rather be dead than look like such a prude." He winks and bumps Stan's shoulder. "Now come on, let's go find some seats before Eddie decides to dump us both." Nothing makes Richie laugh harder than himself and now is no exception. Stan rolls his eyes but goes willingly enough when Richie throws his arm around Stan's shoulders and pulls him along into the screening room. They are early enough to find seats in their favorite spot and Stan settles into his seat. Richie instantly throws his feet up onto the seat in front of him earning a glare from Stan. He opens his mouth to remind Richie how rude it is to have his feet up but doesn't get the chance as an Eddie tornado sweeps down the aisle towards them. Eddie lightly smacks Richie's legs until they get lowered so he can pass. He sits in between Stan and Richie and begins to unload himself of all the snacks. He even tosses a small bag of M&Ms to Stan who catches it out of reflex. A slight smile brightens his face and he thanks Eddie only to have him wave it off. Stan is already so happy that he didn't skip out on tonight's plans. It feels good to be his friends and the only thing that would make this better was if Bev and Ben were here with them.

Unfortunately, the thought of Bev brings Bill back into Stan's brain. The previews haven't started yet so Stan allows his thoughts to linger on the tall redhead. Why did this one guy have such an effect on him? Yes, he is extremely attractive but it's almost like there's more to it than that. It's almost like there's some kind of crazy magnetism that was drawing Stan towards Bill, causing his brain to malfunction in the process. It's been quite a while since Stan has even felt attracted to someone in more than just a passing acknowledgment of their beauty. Maybe that's why he feels so out of his element. Not only is Bill a new face in the small town of Derry, but he also threw a major wrench into Stan's daily schedule. That has to be the reason Stan reacted the way he did, or at least it's the only logical reason that makes sense to him. As the previews start to play Stan feels a little better about the whole day and is actually able to take his mind off of Bill Denbrough and put it back on the screen and the friends he's with.

It's not until the movie is over and he's standing in front of the theater with Richie waiting for Eddie to finish in the bathroom that Bill enters his thoughts again. It happens during a rare lull in conversation and of course, it's Richie who brings him up.

"So what's up with this Bill guy anyway." Richie is leaned casually against the brick wall staring pointedly at him. Stan freezes slightly at the mention of Bill and mentally kicks himself for once again allowing this kind of reaction at the mere mention of a name. He looks up at Richie, ready to tell him that there's nothing 'up' with Bill when their eyes meet. Richie has his eyes opened wide behind his glasses and Stan knows he's in trouble. The look Richie is giving him is an old trick he used to pull with Stan to get him to tell his secrets. It's been years since it has worked on Stan and there is no way he's going to let it work on him now.

"He's Bev's cousin. He just moved here from Portland. I think he is going to be staying with her until he can find his own place." Okay, so apparently Richie's dumb eye trick does still work on him. That's fine it's not like he told him anything that Eddie couldn't have and Stan plans to leave it at that. His traitorous mouth has a different idea. "He's majoring in English literature and he wants to be a writer. He's pretty tall and he is rather attractive." Stan finally manages to snap his mouth shut but Richie is already grinning at him.

"Wow Stanny, it sure seems like you know quite a bit about a guy you just met this morning." Richie's eyebrows might fall right off his face if he doesn't stop wiggling them so much. The defensive response is already bubbling up in Stan's throat but before it can start pouring out of his mouth the door of the theater opens and out steps Eddie. Stan clamps his mouth shut again and gives Richie a scalding glare. Richie jumps away from the wall and gives Stan a look of mock terror as he ducks behind Eddie's small frame.

"Help me Eds! I think he means to kill me this time!" Eddie turns his confused gaze to Stan who is still using his eyes to try to set Richie on fire. Eddie sets his face to casual indifference when he looks back at his cowering boyfriend.

"Well Rich, it's been a good run but I don't think even I could stop Stan right now," He shrugs his shoulders and steps back a couple of steps, leaving Richie unprotected. "You must have really made him mad." A look of pure betrayal passes over Richie's face before he jumps up and kisses Eddie's cheek quickly.

"Never forget me, my love!" Stan knows what Richie is doing before he does it so he's only a split second behind him as he takes off across the street towards the car. Stan can hear Eddie laughing behind them and hears the clicking of the doors locking in the car. Richie tries in vain to get the passenger side door to open which gives Stan enough time to calmly approach his curly-haired friend. Richie shrinks against the side of the locked door and tries to plead his way out of the situation but Stan doesn't waver. By the time Eddie reaches the car, now unlocked, Richie is gasping for breath and begging for mercy. The best thing about being friends for so long is Stan knows just how ticklish Richie is and uses it to his advantage when he needs to get back at him. Stan stops tickling him abruptly and climbs into the back seat. Eddie gives him a high five and they both start to laugh.

"Come on Richie! We have to get Stan home." Eddie starts the car and calls out to Richie who is trying to catch his breath. He gets into the car slowly with his arms wrapped around himself to protect from any surprise attacks. The drive back to Stan's house is quick and filled with discussion about the movie they just saw. Stan is again feeling happy that he came out with them tonight. He says his goodbyes and makes his way up the short walkway to his house. He still has a small smile on his lips as he goes about his nightly routine. It isn't until an hour later when he's in bed on the cusp of sleep that his thoughts drift back to fine, red hair and kind blue eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! I know it's been a while since I've posted an update but I have finally gotten settled into my new house and got my internet all sorted out so updates will now continue at a more reasonable pace! Thank you to everyone who has read this and I hope you enjoy this chapter!!


	5. Right Here

The next couple of weeks have Stan fully focused on work. The spring season brings in a new variety of flowers which means the shop is busy receiving new deliveries and getting ready for all the upcoming graduations. Eddie mans the front of the store while Stan works in the back unloading their recent shipments and readying the new selection to be put on display. Stan enjoys this kind of work because it involves making sure the displays look presentable. The process itself tends to make quite a mess but the end results make it all worth it for Stan. He's so focused on trimming stems to matching lengths that he doesn't hear Eddie come in until he says something.

"Hey, Stan it's time for lunch. Take a break and come eat with me." Stan finishes trimming the last couple of stems before looking up to see Eddie waving a take out bag from The Clubhouse at him. Apparently Eddie had gone out and gotten lunch for the two of them without Stan realizing it. He sets his pruning shears to the side and stretches his arms above his head, popping his back. He goes to the sink and washes his hands thoroughly.

"Thanks, Eddie!" Stan tosses a quick smile over his shoulder at his friend. "I didn't even realize what time it was." Once his hands are cleaned and dried he joins Eddie at their small break table. Eddie has already laid out their food and Stan feels a wave of appreciation and happiness that he has such good friends in his life. Neither of them says much for the first few minutes as they enjoy their food in a comfortable silence. As the minutes pass Stan notes that Eddie is glancing at him more and more. He's sure Eddie wants to say something so he stays quiet and waits. Sure enough, Eddie breaks the silence.

"So have you talked to Bill at all these past few weeks?" At first, Stan is confused by the question because _of course_ he's talked to Bill. Ever since their first meeting, Bill and Eddie had become fast friends and the taller man has stopped by the flower shop a handful of times to just chat with them both. It's for this reason that Stan is now staring blankly at Eddie from across the table. They stare at each other for a couple of seconds before realization dawns in Stan's head. What Eddie is actually asking is if Stan and Bill have talked in private while not in the shop. Stan finds no reason to lie to his best friend but he does drop his eyes back down to his food before answering.

"We have texted a few times but it was only because he wanted a second opinion on something he's writing." Stan can't stop the rush of heat that crawls up his neck but he somehow manages to keep his face neutral. In all honesty, Stan was incredibly flattered when he got a text from Bill asking for his help. The conversation stayed mostly focused on Stan's opinions and suggestions but it still sent butterflies through his stomach whenever his phone would light up with Bill's name on the screen. Stan hadn't let his thoughts linger too long on why he felt those butterflies and he shut them down again now. He looks back at Eddie who has one eyebrow raised.

"He asked for your opinions huh?" Eddie's mouth is quirked up into the smirk that Stan hates. He shrugs and nods as he turns his full attention to his half-eaten food hoping the conversation would end. He should have known that wasn't going to happen. "Are you still attracted to him?" Stan can only hope that Eddie isn't able to hear his heart pounding. This is a question he has been trying to avoid because as much as he wants to deny it, Stan knows it's no use. If anything he's finding himself even more attracted to Bill the more he talks to him. Stan feels so conflicted due to the fact that he still doesn't know Bill that well and yet he's already so affected by him. Eddie seems to read everything on Stan's face because his own face turns softer.

"It's okay to have a crush on him Stan. I know it's weird for you because you haven't known him for very long but you can't turn off how you feel." Eddie reaches across the little table and pats Stan's hand. "Just remember that I'm your best friend and I'm not going to judge you for crushing on someone." He smiles sweetly at Stan and continues eating. Stan absently picks at the rest of his food but he can't deny how much better he feels now.

* * *

In all the years that Stan and Eddie have been friends, Eddie has only gotten sick twice. So of course, now that the shop is in the midst of one of the busiest times of the year, Eddie is home sick. Stan can only thank his lucky stars that it's Saturday which means they close at one instead of five. As long as Eddie is feeling better by next week Stan can handle working a half-day alone. Most of the big orders have already been put in so the only thing Stan really has to do is make sure everything is set aside for each event. It's calm and monotonous and it gives Stan a chance to actually appreciate a little alone time. Ever since their talk last week, Eddie has been asking Stan about his feelings for Bill almost daily. Stan wouldn't mind so much but Eddie keeps trying to offer to help set them up which feels extremely premature. He knows that Eddie just wants him to be happy and not feel so lonely anymore but Stan would much rather take things slow and have a chance to get to know Bill before "making his move" as Eddie calls it.

Stan is lost in thought and frowning down at the bucket of roses he just moved to the holding fridge when a voice calls out from the front of the store. Stan jumps and hurries out of the back room. He didn't even hear the bell on the front door chime and he hopes whoever it is hasn't been waiting too long.

"I'm so sorry I didn't hear you come in-" Stan's apology is cut off when he sees who is standing at the counter. "Oh! Bill hey!" What are you doing here?" Stan's mouth turns up into an involuntary smile when he sees the smile already on Bill's face. It's been almost a full week since he has last seen him and he's a little surprised to find that he actually missed the tall redhead.

"Hey, Stan. I w-was just in the n-neighborhood and thought I would drop b-by." How could Stan have forgotten how nice Bill's voice was? "I thought may-aybe if you guys didn't already have plans we c-could get lunch?" Bill gives him such a hopeful look that Stan has no chance of rejecting him. The smile on Stan's face falters a bit when he realizes that Bill asked to have lunch with _them_. He hopes that with Eddie gone Bill will be alright just having lunch with Stan.

"Well Eddie is home sick today but I would be happy to join you for lunch." Stan tries not to sound like this is the best thing to happen to him all week. The smile that Bill gives him is dazzling and Stan has to look away. "I'll be locking up in about-" he glances quickly to his watch, "ten minutes so if you want to hang out while I finish things up that would be fine." Bill agrees and allows Stan to show him into the back room. "You can sit at the break table. I just have to finish cleaning." Stan grabs the broom and dustpan and hurries back out to the main shop.

It doesn't take long for Stan to be finished sweeping and wiping everything off. He gets the register settled and flips the sign on the door to Closed before heading to the backroom to put the day's numbers into the computer. It's not necessary for him to do this manually but it's how he's done it since he first started working here. Bill is still sitting at the table and it looks like he's typing something on his phone. He looks up at Stan when he walks in.

"Eddie suggests we try that n-new place J-jade of the Orient if you are okay with that?" Oh, he must have been texting Eddie then. But if it's Eddie's suggestion of where they should eat it could be part of his plans to sneakily try to set Stan up with Bill. Should he try to offer a different place to eat or would that seem rude? Bill seems fairly excited and Stan doesn't want to disappoint him. Stan's inner turmoil doesn't go unnoticed and he realizes that the smile on Bill's face is slowly fading into a confused frown.

"Yeah, we can go there!" Stan's words rush out of his mouth. "I've been wanting to try the food there since it opened." He smiles at Bill and feels more relieved than he should when Bill smiles back. Stan returns focus to the computer and throws himself into the numbers for the day and tries not to think about how he will soon be sat across from Bill in a restaurant that is quickly becoming a favorite date spot in Derry.

Stan knows this is nothing more than two friends getting lunch but he's still hyperaware of everything as he follows Bill to his car parked a little way down the street. Every person walking past them seems to be staring at Stan's blushing face. Stan doesn't think it's possible for his face to go any redder until they reach Bill's car and he unlocks it from the passenger side so Bill can open the door for Stan. He can almost feel the neon sign pulsing above his head, telling everyone in the vicinity that **This Man Has A Crush**. Stan ducks his head as soon as he's in the car and gets busy pulling imaginary lint off his sweater.

The drive there is not as awkward as Stan feared it would be but he stays fairly quiet. Bill either doesn't mind or doesn't notice since as soon as they start driving he turns on music. All the songs are unfamiliar to Stan but he enjoys it nonetheless. He is also thankful that the music gives him an excuse to not need to talk much. The stereo gets switched off as they pull into the parking lot and find a spot near the front of the restaurant. Bill turns the car off and looks expectantly at Stan.

"Shall we?" It's only two words but suddenly Stan's heart is pounding again and all he can do is nod in response. He gets out of the car quickly and uses the small amount of time to take a few deep breaths. _Oh God please don't let me make a fool of myself_. Stan's whole body is filled with electricity as he follows Bill into the restaurant.


	6. Humming

_This isn't a date this isn't a date this isn't a date this isn't a date. _This is the only thought in Stan's head. His body is in full autopilot as soon as he and Bill sit down at their table. It's a good thing his mouth got the memo so that his silent mantra can go unnoticed. Stan isn't fully aware of anything happening outside of his head but he does register the fact that he has been holding a conversation with Bill. Now if only Stan could actually _focus_ on what they're talking about. He takes a few inconspicuous yet deep breaths and forces himself to hear and process the words Bill is saying. He just barely catches the end of a question.

"-and R-richie seem like an odd p-pair huh?" This is good. Stan can talk about his friends anytime. His eyes are focused on lining up all his silverware.

"I think a lot of people feel that way before they really get to know Eddie and Richie together." Stan chances a quick glance and finds Bill watching his hands moving and rearranging the items on his placemat. "They bicker a lot but they have loved each other for years." He finishes lining everything up and folds his hands into his lap. Bill is still staring at Stan's silverware and Stan has to clear his throat to get his attention.

"Oh, uh, right." Bill blinks a couple of times at Stan and his right hand finds its way to the back of his neck. "I'll tuh-take your w-word for it that they actually l-like each other." He chuckles lightly and glances back down to Stan's placemat. "Do you m-mind if I ask why y-you did that?" Stan tenses automatically but relaxes a bit when it doesn't sound like Bill is being judgemental. His hands fiddle nervously with the end of his sweater.

"I just, er, I like things to be neat and orderly. I like to line objects up from largest to smallest and space them evenly apart." Stan's neck is burning but he continues. "It's something I've done since I was a kid. I don't even notice when I'm doing it." The blush may be rising into his face but he sets his jaw and raises his head to meet Bill's eyes. Stan is prepared to be judged, to see the look that silently tells him how weird he is. He is not prepared for Bill to smile warmly at him.

"My little br-brother used to d-do that." The smile on his face grows bigger at the thought but Stan notices a sadness in Bill's blue eyes. "He w-would always set h-his crayons out in order of which ones had buh-been used the most." Bill stops and the smile slides off his face. He shakes his head slightly and looks back up at Stan. "A-anyway, I think it's cool that y-you like things t-to be so orderly." The smile returns though it's smaller and doesn't quite reach his eyes. Still, Stan can't help but smile back. Bill thinks _he_ is cool! He can't believe that someone so charming and laid-back actually thinks Stan is cool for doing something he's done since childhood. The heat is flooding his face again and he ducks his head behind his menu to hide it.

They spend the next few minutes deciding what to order and discussing some of the more unique items on the menu. Stan finds himself getting lost in everything Bill does. The way the corners of his eyes crinkle when he laughs, the way he leans forward on his elbows when he's really listening, how he forces himself to talk slower when he gets excited to keep his stutter from getting too bad. Every new thing gets filed away into the BILL folder in Stan's brain. During lunch, they talk about an array of topics. From the book Bill is writing, to how Stan became friends with Bev, to simply swapping stories from highschool. Stan enjoys talking to Bill. He's intelligent and opinionated and actually seems to want to know more about topics that Stan talks about. He doesn't know how or even when it happened but they got onto the topic of birds and Stan has thrown himself into it. He is currently describing the scarlet tanager which is one of his favorite birds. Stan gets rather animated and uses his hands a lot when he talks about birdwatching and now is no exception.

"Actually it's funny because it's not even in the tanager family anymore. It is now classified in the cardinal family." A tiny voice in the back of his head is telling him that not everyone is this interested in birds but Stan ignores it and finishes what he was saying. "It has similar vocalizations and plumage to others in the cardinal family but unlike other cardinals, the scarlet tanager doesn't have the same conical bill." He comes to an end of his description and notices for the first time the way Bill is staring at him. The look on his face is akin to wonder and Stan doesn't understand why he would be looking at him like that.

"Are you okay Bill?" He furrows his brow and keeps his eyes on Bill's face. The question seems to take Bill by surprise and he jumps slightly. His face goes pink and he drops his eyes from Stan's. He doesn't respond right away and seems to be looking anywhere but at Stan. His reaction confuses Stan even more and he's ready to ask another question when Bill finally answers.

"I'm f-f-fine. I just never realized how c-cool birds could be." He rubs at his neck, his cheeks still pink, but he continues. "There's so m-much more to buh-birds than I thought there was." He smiles shyly at Stan which sends his heart pounding into his throat. Stan grabs his water in an attempt to hide his blush. This lunch has been the highlight of his week and he can't believe he got lucky enough to be able to share it with Bill

* * *

Half an hour later, Bill pulls his car up in front of Stan's house. They had spent the drive talking more about birds and Stan had also asked Bill about some of the music they had listened to. The drive back to his house feels so much shorter than the drive to the restaurant and Stan is a little bit sad that he has to say goodbye now.

"Thanks for driving me home Bill. I really appreciate it." Stan's face is starting to hurt from how much he's smiled today but he can't help giving Bill another grin. It only grows bigger when Bill returns it in full force.

"It w-was the least I could do since you wouldn't let me p-p-pay for your meal." He squints disapprovingly at Stan which causes them both to bust out laughing. "Also th-thank _you _for j-joining me for lunch in the f-first place." They grin at each other long enough for Stan's face to start heating up and the energy swirling between them in the small confines of Bill's car feels palpable. The chiming of an incoming message on Stan's phone causes him to jump and he fumbles to get it out of his pocket. It's a text from Eddie, telling Stan to call him.

"Well, Eddie wants me to call him so I should probably get going." He types a quick affirmative and looks back up at Bill whose pink cheeks mirror his own. "Thank you again, Bill, I had a really great time hanging out today." He opens the door and begins to step out of the car. A light touch on his arm causes Stan to freeze and turn back. Bill's hand feels warm through his shirt sleeve and at that moment he's sure that if that hand was touching his skin it would set him on fire. Bill leans toward Stan's side of the car and the breath gets caught in Stan's lungs. He instinctively leans in slightly, his heart pounding. Bill reaches past Stan and opens the glove compartment to pull out a CD.

"Here, take th-this with y-you. It's got a lot of the s-songs we listened to today." He leans back into his own seat and hands the clearly homemade CD to Stan. "All the songs and wh-who they're b-by are listed on the back of the ca-case." Stan takes the CD and turns it over to read some of the song names. He really is curious to listen to them all but he also needs a reason to not look at Bill right now. He mumbles a soft 'thank you' and gets quickly out of the car. He turns before shutting the door and leans down so he can see Bill. He looks a bit confused but Stan ignores that. He needs to get inside.

"Have a good rest of your day. I'll let you know what I think of the songs." Stan waves the CD at him. "Thanks for this and for lunch. Drive safely." He doesn't wait for a response and shuts the door. Stan practically runs up the front walkway and into his house. He leans against the door once it's closed and takes a few deep breaths. He bangs his head a couple of times on the door before taking his sweater off and hanging it up. He crosses to the small living room and drops into his chair with a sigh. He closes his eyes and sighs again. He feels so stupid. Did he really think Bill was going to Kiss him? _Of course not! _His mind tries to reason with him, _That would have been completely inappropriate! _Even as he's trying to convince himself that it would have made no sense for Bill to kiss him, there's a small part of him that is telling him that it would have been great. He sits there and turns the CD over and over in his hands until his phone chimes a couple of times. Of course, it's Eddie again. In his embarrassment, Stan completely forgot that he was supposed to call him. He sighs again but hits the call button. He stands up to kick his shoes off and put them by the door while the phone rings. Eddie picks up before the second ring is finished.

"How was lunch?" Stan rolls his eyes at the lack of greeting. "I hope you enjoyed the food because yours truly chose the restaurant." Eddie sounds so smug that Stan can't stop the snort of laughter that escapes him.

"If you are done patting yourself on the back I'll tell you how everything went." He waits a second and when he gets only silence in response, he launches into a full rundown of his lunch with Bill. He tells Eddie everything up until he gets to the end and the kiss that wasn't. He keeps that detail to himself but does share that Bill gave him a CD to listen to.

"Woah woah, wait. He gave you a homemade CD of his favorite songs?" Stan was expecting this reaction so he lets Eddie get it all out. "That's gotta be a sign that he likes you! I told you, Stan! You need to go for it already and ask him out on a proper date!" Eddie apparently got himself too worked up because he starts coughing. Stan waits until the coughs are lighter so he knows Eddie can hear him.

"It wasn't like that, Eddie. I asked him about the music and it's not like he made the CD for me. He's just letting me borrow it so I can check out some of the songs. Nothing about this says he has any interest in me besides friendship." Saying the words feels like he's spitting glass but he knows it's necessary to say them both for Eddie's sake and his own. "I'm perfectly fine with just being his friend and getting to know him."

Thankfully, Eddie lets it go with only an irritated sigh but Stan is sure the only reason he isn't pushing it more is because he's sick. In fact, they only talk for a few more minutes before Eddie decides to go back to sleep. They hang up and Stan figures he may as well tidy up the house since he doesn't have anything else planned for the day. He hesitates for a second before carefully putting Bill's CD into his stereo. Doing chores is always better with music after all. As the first song starts to play, Stan falls into the comfortable rhythm of cleaning.


	7. Springless

The late spring days pass effortlessly into the lazy heat of summer and Stanley Uris is the happiest he's been in a long time. It has been just over a month since his first solo lunch with Bill and ever since that day the two of them have grown significantly closer. Stan was surprised but delighted when Bill had shown up the Monday following their lunch. He and Eddie had been too busy to do much more than sit for ten minutes with Bill but it was enough to put a smile on Stan's face for the rest of the day. From that day on, it became routine to have Bill join them for lunch at least twice a week and every Saturday they all went out to a restaurant to eat and talk. A lot of the time Richie would be with them and Stan felt like he was bursting of happiness to spend so much time with his two best friends and Bill.

In addition to the lunches they now spend together, Stan and Bill have also begun talking a lot more. They text almost every day and Stan has to admit that there's a flutter in his chest whenever he gets a new message from his newest friend. The best thing about it is, now that Bill knows how much Stan likes birds, he will send pictures of any birds he finds when he's out. It's a little ridiculous how happy he is when he receives those picture messages and if they're almost always blurry or just of regular pigeons then so what? Stan thinks it's charming and maybe he's just a bit worried that if he says anything about it Bill might stop sending him the pictures all together. He is enjoying being friends with Bill too much for him to risk anything ruining what they are building.

It is for this same reason that Stan finds himself in a conflicting situation. His birthday is this weekend and Stan has yet to decide if he should invite Bill. On the one hand, they have become quite good friends and it might be insulting if Stan didn’t invite him. On the other hand, they have only been friends for about a month and Stan doesn't want to scare away his new friend by being too forward. His internal struggle does not go unnoticed by Eddie. Judging by how loud and annoyed sounding his sigh is, Eddie is beyond fed up with him.

Stan has been mindlessly sweeping the same spot for close to ten minutes and only comes to a halt when Eddie sighs again. Stan turns to look at his best friend and finds him glaring at him with his hands on his hips. Eddie raises his eyebrows and gestures to the broom in Stan's hands.

“Why even bother with the pretense of cleaning if you aren't even going to try to pay attention to what you're doing?” When the only response he gets is a blank stare from Stan, Eddie throws his hands up in exasperation. “Oh for fuck's sake Stanley. Give me the broom.” Stan hands over the broom without hesitation but he doesn't move from where he's standing. He bites at his bottom lip and watches as Eddie begins sweeping the floors. Stan moves to stand by the counter so he won't be in the way and he waits until Eddie is finished with the floors. Eddie is dumping out the dustpan when Stan finally decides to ask for his advice.

“Hey, uh, Eddie? Can I ask your opinion on something?” Eddie's response is instant and it makes Stan roll his eyes.

“Yes, I do think you should ask Bill on a date. Glad I could help you out.” Eddie doesn’t even look up to answer, instead, he simply walks past Stan to put the broom away. Stan follows him and makes sure to give him a slight nudge. He frowns pointedly at Eddie who in turn rolls his eyes. “Okay okay fine. What do you need my infinite wisdom on today young grasshopper.” Stan ignores the sarcasm and sinks into the nearest chair.

“I need you to be serious with me right now.” Stan looks at his friend and waits until he gets a confirmation before continuing. He drops his gaze to the front of his shirt and picks minuscule pieces of lint off of it. “I was wondering if you think I should invite Bill to my birthday this weekend or if it might be too soon in our friendship for that.” He holds his breath and waits for the answer but Eddie isn't saying anything. He asked the question out loud right? He's certain he did but then why isn't Eddie answering? He glances across the table and is instantly confused to find Eddie flushed and not meeting his eyes. “Eddie? What's going on?” He has a hunch as to why Eddie is acting this way but he needs to be sure.

“Well, I didn’t realize that you might not want Bill to come,” His brown eyes flick to Stan's hazel ones and then away. “I thought that since you guys had become so close that it would be no issue to invite him.” Eddie is looking at him sheepishly and Stan is staring blankly back. His heart is pounding in his chest and he can't decide if its from nerves or excitement. He knows that he should say something and Eddie is starting to look nervous. He blinks a few times and clears his throat.

“Well, if you have already invited him then there's no reason for me to worry about it anymore.” Eddie is still looking like he's not sure if Stan is mad or not. “It will be nice to have him there and I'm glad you asked him to come.” He realizes how much he means it when he says it and now the butterflies in his stomach are, without a doubt, from excitement. Bill is going to be at his birthday! The only other people who will be there are Stan's closest friends and there is a warm feeling in Stan's chest when he thinks about having all his friends together in one place. He doesn't remember when he started smiling but he definitely feels it slide off when Eddie opens his mouth again.

“It will be great! Maybe you two can finally get together.” Eddie's grin is mischievous and Stan is struck suddenly with a new conflict. His eyes flick to the right and land on the broom leaned against the wall. Would it really be worth it to go to jail for murdering his best friend with a broom? He looks back at Eddie and raises an eyebrow. Eddie squints suspiciously at him.

“You wouldn't dare.” Stan shrugs his shoulders and his face settles into the picture of innocence. Eddie gives him a warning look. “I mean it Stanny, don’t do this. You know I was just-” Whatever he was going to say gets cut off as Stan lunges out of the chair to grab the broom. Eddie runs quite fast and by the time Stan has the broom and turns back to the table he's out of the room.

They are lucky no customers come in to see the two boys running around the shop, one with a broom in hand and both with large smiles on their faces. As it is, someone does come in through the front door bringing them both to stop, one on either side of the counter.

“W-what’s going on g-guys?” The familiar voice reaches Stan before he has fully turned to look. Bill smiles widely when their eyes meet and Stan looks away quickly. He goes to lean the broom on the wall behind the counter and tries to ignore how good Bill looks today. It’s totally unfair for someone to look that good in a plain gray t-shirt and jeans. Stan knows Eddie is watching him so he composes himself and goes back to lean on the counter. Bill is looking between the two of them, amusement clear on his face.

“Hey, Big Bill! How goes it?” Eddie's voice is bright and chipper and it draws Bill’s attention from Stan. They settle into a casual discussion and Stan takes the time to process how, in just a few days, he will be with all the people he cares most about. He can't help the smile that grows easily across his face. He jumps into the conversation and he thinks about how good it feels to have these people in his life.

This weekend is sure to be the best birthday Stan’s ever had and he can’t wait. 


	8. Deep End

Stan isn't the biggest fan of being on the receiving end of surprise parties. He appreciates the sentiment and the work that goes into them but the fact that he doesn't know whats going on tends to stress him out. As his best friend, Eddie is well aware of Stan’s feelings and over the years of their friendship, they have developed an agreement when it comes to surprises. Stan allows Eddie full reign to plan and throw whatever kind of party he wants as long as he gives Stan a heads up about when the party will be. He isn’t allowed to know where it takes place or who will be there but its enough for Stan to know when. There are certain advantages to being friends for as long as they have and one of the biggest ones is the level of trust they have for each other. Stan knows that Eddie would never do anything to make him uncomfortable and Eddie knows that if something does end up upsetting Stan he will tell him immediately.

Stan is ready and waiting for his ride to the party and is trying not to be too nervous. He doesn’t know for sure who will be picking him up but his group of friends is fairly small so he isn’t too worried. It’s only a slight surprise to answer the knock on his door to find the gangly form of Richie Tozier leaning against the wall in a way that could only be described as suggestive. Stan has to fight back the urge to laugh when he notices that Richie’s normally unruly hair looks like someone made an attempt to tame it and failed miserably. Richie tips him an exaggerated wink and straightens up.

“Stanley Uris I presume?” Richie simpers in an awful impression of a dignified British man. The voice is the nail in the coffin for Stan and he bursts out laughing. Richie tries to look offended which succeeds only in making Stan laugh harder. It takes a few moments for him to gain his composure, at which point he notices what Richie is wearing. A simple black bomber jacket over a blue button-down shirt. The shirt is untucked and his pants are dark denim instead of slacks but this is undoubtedly the nicest outfit Richie has ever worn.

“First of all,” Stan begins, after taking in his friends' new look, “What the hell happened to your hair? And second of all, why are you dressed up so nice?” He’s pretty sure he knows the answer to both but it feels prudent to ask anyway. At the mention of his hair, Richie’s face twists into a grimace and his hand touches it gently.

“Eddie tried to make it look nice but I think all he managed to do was give me a bald spot.” He rolls his eyes and moves on to his outfit, doing a quick spin to show all sides. “Pretty nice huh? It took a while to convince his majesty to let me wear the jacket but I finally wore him down.” The wink he gives Stan suggests lewd activities were involved but Stan isn’t buying that. He quirks an eyebrow at Richie and waits. “Okay okay I _might_ have started off by wearing my MC Hammer costume from last Halloween but you can’t tell me I wouldn’t have been the life of the party in that!” This time they both start laughing. It takes a few minutes to calm them down because Richie keeps imitating MC Hammer. There are tears in Stan’s eyes by the time Richie continues. “After that first attempt at dressing up, I think Eddie was just relieved when I put on normal clothes.” Richie grins goofily at him and Stan grins back.

“Well you do look nice Rich,” Stan pauses before adding, “Even though your shirt isn’t tucked in.” Richie rolls his eyes at the lighthearted jab and grabs Stan's hand to pull him out of the doorway. Stan pulls the door shut behind him and follows Richie down the front steps.

It turns out that the party is being held at Bev’s house which makes sense. She is the only one in their friend group who doesn’t live in the college dorms besides Stan so really he should have expected it to be at her place. Still, his stomach twists into knots as they pull up in front of the small, neat house. Stan knows the only reason he’s feeling so nervous all of the sudden is because it just dawned on him that Bill is staying with Bev. He knows that Bill is invited to the party but there’s something different about the party being held in the same house that Bill lives in.

“Come on Stan the Man!” Richie’s perpetually loud voice cuts through Stan’s thoughts and he jerks his head towards where the voice came from. Richie is standing outside of the car on Stan’s side and he has his mouth to the glass, puffing his cheeks out. Stan ignores the fact that he was so lost in thought that he didn’t notice Richie getting out of the car. He opens his door quickly and catches Richie by surprise. “Hey! You trying to break my ribs?” Richie is glaring at him and Stan fakes innocence as he gets out of the car.

“I would never hurt you, Richie.” Stan’s eyes widen and he stares unblinkingly. His voice takes on a monotone quality that he knows freaks Richie out. “You are my best friend. Why would I ever hurt you.” He can see how uncomfortable Richie is getting so, in order to make things worse, he steps forward toward him. He keeps taking small steps towards his friend, counting down the seconds it’s going to take for Richie to break.

“Okay!” Richie yelps and scurries away from the now grinning Stan. “You are so creepy when you do that.” Stan laughs at the pout on Richie’s face and walks past him to the front door. He’s already knocking before Richie joins him again. The door is opened by the smiling face of Beverly. Stan barely has enough time to think how pretty she looks before she’s enveloping him in her slender arms. His own arms go around her in a tight hug.

“Happy Birthday Stanny!” Her voice is bright and happy and it puts a smile on Stan’s face. He is still smiling as she pulls him into the house and over to Ben who also gives him a big hug, nearly lifting Stan off his feet. Ben has always been a big boy but over the past few years, he has worked hard to lose the weight he carried since childhood and now he was more muscular and tall. Stan looks around and Bev must misread this to be him looking for Eddie because she informs Stan that he is in the kitchen. To be honest Stan had been looking to see if Bill was there. Just because he was invited doesn’t mean he has to come even if the party is where he lives.

In order to avoid any questions regarding Bill, Stan heads into the kitchen to find a tornado the exact shape and size as Eddie. He has an apron on and there’s white smeared on his cheek and in his hair. Stan smiles at his best friend and knocks lightly on the door frame to get Eddie’s attention. Eddie looks up in surprise but when he sees Stan in the doorway he wipes his hands on a towel and comes over to him.

“Stan! I didn’t even hear you come in!” He gives Stan a quick hug and goes back to making what Stan can now tell is a cake. “I hope Richie didn’t drive you too crazy on the way here.” He smiles at Stan who makes his way to lean against the counter.

“He told me you wouldn’t let him dress as MC Hammer.” Stan chuckles at the irritated look on Eddie’s face. Eddie continues to tell him about everything that has happened since that morning. Stan tries to listen as well as he can but he is finding it hard to focus on anything except the fact that he has yet to see Bill anywhere. He figures since Eddie is the only one that has talked to him about the feelings he may or may not have for the tall redhead, he is the best person to ask where Bill is. Stan waits until Eddie comes to an end of his story.

“Hey Eddie?” Stan begins after Eddie has gone back to the cake mix. He gets a hum in response which he takes as a go-ahead to keep talking. He takes a small breath. “Is Bill going to be here?” He tries to sound nonchalant but even to his own ears he sounds hopeful. Eddie turns and gives him a bright smile.

“Yes, as a matter of fact, he is. He left just before you got here but said he would be right back.” He’s still smiling at Stan who can feel his own smile starting to spread. Stan nods and turns away from Eddie to make his way back into the living room. He finds Bev and Richie doing the Lindy hop while Ben watches and laughs. Stan laughs and joins Ben on the couch to cheer them on.

They finish the dance and turn to bow at the audience. Stan and Ben both stand and clap and are demanding more when the front door opens. Stan’s breath catches in his throat when Bill walks into the room. He’s wearing a nice, red plaid shirt buttoned up over a white undershirt and dark gray chinos. Stan’s mouth goes dry as soon as Bill’s eyes meet his from across the room. He tries to return his smile but it’s like he’s lost control of the muscles in his face. He can’t take his eyes off of Bill’s face until Bill turns away from him and back to the door. When he turns back to the living room, Stan feels the warm, happy bubble around him pop. Bill has a small, dark-haired woman under his arm.

“Hey, g-guys! This is Audra.” Bill introduces the woman with a soft smile and an ugly green monster rears its head inside Stan’s chest. He is frozen to the small section of carpet under his feet until Bev moves forward to greet the woman. Ben and Richie introduce themselves and suddenly Stan is shaking her hand and introducing himself, the smile on his face feels tight and too forced and he is quick to excuse himself. He finds himself in the kitchen again and he can hear someone saying his name.

“--you okay?” The roaring that had been in his ears fades out into Eddie’s concerned voice. Stan looks up at his friends' soft eyes and tries to get the words out that will convince Eddie that he’s fine. His mouth opens but nothing comes out. The words aren’t coming. Eddie gets up and leaves the kitchen for a moment and when he returns he has Richie with him. They both kneel in front of Stan and he can almost feel their love and support wrapping around him. This time when he opens his mouth, the words find a way out.

“He brought a girl.” They aren’t the words he had meant to say but they get the message across. Eddie’s face is full of understanding but Richie looks like he’s not finding the connection. Before even realizing that he’s going to say more Stan’s words are pouring out of him. “I like Bill. I really like him.” It’s the first time he’s said the words out loud and it feels bittersweet due to the circumstance he has found himself in. “I tried to ignore it but I can’t. I can’t help feeling the way I do but,” He takes a shaky breath, “_He brought a girl.”_

Richie and Eddie try to comfort him but nothing they say is making him feel better. If he’s being honest Stan had really begun to convince himself that Bill was starting to have feelings for him. It feels like an extra smack in the face that not only was he so wrong about how Bill felt but apparently Bill hadn’t felt like telling Stan that he was dating someone. He thought they had gotten close enough for at least that much.

The rest of the party seems to pass in a blur of Richie telling and acting out stories and Eddie’s homemade cake which was the highlight of the day for Stan. By the time Richie and Eddie are driving him home Stan is feeling exhausted from forcing smiles and trying to hide the fact that his heart was being shredded every time he would catch Bill smiling at Audra or putting his arm around her. It’s a relief to reach his own house and he declines the offer of Eddie and Richie to stay with him. He just wants to be alone right now. Stan waits until Eddie’s car has turned the corner and is out of sight before he starts walking in the opposite direction. He doesn’t have a specific destination in mind but he needs the fresh air.

He ends up at the park by the standpipe. It’s one of his favorite bird-watching spots so he isn’t surprised that he came here instinctively. He sits on his favorite bench and draws his knees up to his chest, his chin perched on them and his arms wrapped loosely around his shins. He stares forward at the birdbath and the birds splashing and playing in the shallow water. He lays his bird book on the bench next to him where it sits unopened and unused. He can’t bring himself to jot down the birds he’s observing, instead, he finds a sense of solace in simply watching and wishing he could be as carefree. As unburdened. His heart feels like it’s being squeezed in a vice grip and it’s taking every ounce of control he has to keep his breaths from coming out in gasps.

Stan feels a drop of water on his face. _It must have started to rain_ he thinks to himself, not bothering to look up and see the clear blue sky stretched above him. A few more drops slide down his cheeks and another denying thought drifts through his mind before he accepts that it’s not raining. He wipes the tears from his face, disgusted with himself for allowing his feelings to get to him this way. The tears continue to fall silently down his face as the sky begins to darken and the birds have all flown away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to base Audra off of the 1990 miniseries version because in the books it's said that Audra looks a lot like Beverly which I thought would be too weird since Bill and Bev are cousins in this fic.


	9. How It Goes

Stan has to fight the urge to fidget with something as the paranoia creeps up inside him. He and Eddie have been staring at each other for a while now, Eddie in surprise with his mouth hanging open and Stan with a set look of defiant determination. Stan is trying to hide that his heart is pounding against his ribs. Part of him is worried that the question he asked hadn’t come out right but he knows if he breaks now the message won’t get through to Eddie that he’s serious.

“Did you just ask me to set you up with someone?” Eddie snaps out of his surprised stupor and is looking at Stan like he just sprouted tentacles. Stan can understand why Eddie is so taken aback. Stan spent the entire weekend after his birthday not talking to anyone and showed up to work this morning to spring this request on his friend. It had been a spur of the moment decision last night but Stan isn’t the type to act impulsively so he allowed himself to sleep on it. Waking up this morning, he had still felt like this is something he wanted to do. Stan looks steadily into Eddie’s eyes and sees the exact moment that he realizes how serious Stan is.

“I can’t let myself be hung up forever on someone who isn’t interested, Eddie. And I know I told you I wanted to meet someone naturally but you are my best friend in the world,” He pauses to smile and wink at Eddie, “I trust you to know what I like and find someone who will be a good match for me.” He turns away to start working on the vase arrangements for the front display. Stan knows that Eddie isn’t going to say no, he’s been begging for over a year to set Stan up with someone. Sure enough, Eddie agrees and launches into a list of possible candidates.

“Are you looking specifically for guys? Or are you open to some girls too?” It’s a fair question in light of Stan’s history with dating and though he _is _open to any gender he stops to think about it for a second. In reality, he really should allow for the widest range possible.

“I’m open to anyone, regardless of gender, but I think maybe I’m leaning more towards guys right now.” Eddie just nods and keeps going with his thought process. Stan continues making arrangements, only really listening enough to answer any questions Eddie might have. He’s curious to see what kind of people Eddie thinks he will like and if any of them will give him the same kind of feeling he got from Bill. He stops his thoughts right there. Thinking about Bill is not what he wants to do right now. He needs to move on. He will move on and once this silly little crush has fully dissipated, he can continue being friends with him.

By the time Stan is locking up the store, the display cooler is filled to the brim with colorful flower arrangements and Eddie has narrowed his list down to about five possible candidates. Stan invites Eddie over so they can keep talking and planning and Eddie enthusiastically agrees. After a quick text to Richie telling him to meet them at Stan’s they head off down the road. Eddie doesn’t say much on the short drive to Stan’s house but Stan has noticed all the quick side glances Eddie is throwing at him.

“What, Eddie?” Stan turns towards his friend as they pull up in front of his house. “Why do you keep looking at me like that?” Eddie jumps and looks down sheepishly. Stan watches as Eddie takes his time with turning the car off and putting his keys carefully into his messenger bag. He’s stalling and Stan is getting concerned that he’s going to change his mind about setting him up with someone. Before he can voice his worry Eddie turns and looks at him.

“Can you tell me for certain that you actually want to do this and this isn’t just your way of ignoring your feelings for Bill?” The question takes Stan by surprise and he has to fight the urge to answer defensively. Instead, he gets out of the car and starts toward the front door. He can hear Eddie closing and locking the doors and hurrying up the walkway behind him. Stan feels the expectant eyes drilling into his skull but he continues through the door and puts his stuff away before sitting heavily in his chair. Eddie follows him into the living room and sits on the edge of the couch, leaning towards him.

“I know it seems like a rebound situation, Eddie, but you know me,” Stan glances at Eddie, noting the furrowed brow and concerned look. “I don’t like doing anything impulsively. I’m not ignoring my feelings but I don’t want to wallow in self-pity because he doesn’t reciprocate how I feel. I would much rather move past this and find someone who will feel the same way about me. It might take some time to find the right person but I know it will happen.” Stan hears the small sigh come from the couch and looks at Eddie again. He has settled into the couch and is giving Stan a soft look.

“I’m sorry about Bill, Stanny. I was really hoping things would be different for you.” Stan gets up and crosses to the couch, sitting next to his best friend. Eddie puts a hand on Stan’s shoulder and his expression shifts into one of determination. “I am going to help you find someone great. I swear, Stan, I will make sure that whoever I set you up will be the absolute best choice I can find for you.” Eddie looks so serious that Stan can’t hold back the snort of laughter. Then they are both laughing and Stan is hugging Eddie.

“Thank you for being my friend Eddie.” Stan fights to get the words out through the laughter and Eddie squeezes him tightly before letting him go and beaming at him.

“Friends forever Stan-kid.” Stan smiles at the old nickname Richie used to call him and nods in agreement. No matter what happened next in his life at least he would always have his friends to stand by his side and put a smile on his face.


	10. Unfolding

Richie shows up with a couple of pizzas barely an hour after Eddie and Stan had settled onto the couch to continue discussing who would be a good match for Stan to date. Eddie fills Richie in on the plan and he jumps at the chance to add his own two cents to the discussion, throwing out names of random people he knows from school and even some celebrity names.

“Beep beep Trashmouth.” Eddie rolls his eyes at his boyfriend and slaps his hand away when Richie tries to sneak the last slice of pizza. “We are trying to seriously find someone good for Stan and we don’t need your smart-ass comments.” Eddie puts the pizza on Stan’s plate and slides it back over to him. Stan is starting to feel nervous about his plan to be set up. He is looking over the list that Eddie had compiled so far and he doesn’t know how but he just _knows_ that none of them are the right one. He’s about to tell his friends to call it quits when Richie’s voice cuts through his thoughts.

“What about that guy Mike from your History class?” This only catches Stan’s attention because Richie actually sounds genuine instead of joking around. Stan looks at Eddie who is looking surprised and delighted. He looks like Richie has just saved the whole world and he gives him a huge smile.

“I can’t believe I forgot about Mike!” Eddie jumps up off the couch and grabs his phone. He starts tapping the screen and pacing the room. Stan watches with his eyebrows raised, waiting for one of them to explain to him who this Mike guy is. When neither of them says anything Stan gets a bit antsy and stands up as well. He hands his plate and the last slice of pizza to Richie who grins and takes a large bite, chewing happily. Eddie is still pacing and looking at his phone.

“Are you going to tell me who Mike from your History class is or do you want me to die of anticipation?” Stan grabs Eddie by his shoulders and brings him to a stop in front of him. Eddie looks up from his phone and gives Stan a bright look before looking back down at his phone.

“His name is Mike Hanlon and he is literally the nicest guy ever.” Eddie stops typing on his phone and turns it around to show Stan the screen. More accurately, he shows him a picture on the screen. The picture is of a handsome man with dark skin and a bright smile. Stan is drawn instantly to the kind brown eyes and he looks up at Eddie with a smile. Eddie looks a bit anxious until he sees Stan’s smile and returns it instantly. “I knew you would be interested! I can not believe he wasn’t the first one that I thought of!” Eddie’s phone pings with an incoming message and Eddie grabs it quickly so Stan doesn’t have a chance to see what it says.

“Did you already ask Mike about going out with me?” Stan looks hard at Eddie who is now avoiding looking at him. “Eddie. Did you ask him before you even showed me who he was?” Stan is almost positive that Eddie did exactly that and as much as Stan is wanting to be upset by that he can’t find it in him to be anything except excited.

* * *

Two days later, Stan is standing in his bedroom looking in the mirror trying to decide which shirt to wear on his date tonight. It’s not only his first date with Mike but also the first time he will meet him. Eddie is sat on the bed behind him rifling through all the shirts laid out.

“Oh, this blue one is nice.” Eddie holds up a plain blue, long-sleeved sweater. It’s one of Stan’s favorites and he walks over to the bed to grab it from him. He pulls it over his head, smoothing the collar of his button-up shirt over the top of the sweater and looks at himself in the mirror again. “Maybe try it without the button-up?” Eddie is looking at him with amused affection. Stan rolls his eyes and turns back to his reflection. He thinks he looks great and his excitement grows when the alarm on his watch beeps, letting him know that it’s seven o’clock.

“Mike should be here any minute.” Stan smooths the front of the sweater and gives himself one last look over. Nodding to himself, Stan leaves the room and heads into the bathroom to brush his teeth and wash his hands. Eddie follows him, leaning on the door frame and shaking his head at Stan.

“You guys are going to dinner, why are you brushing your teeth before you eat?” Stan gives Eddie the finger and returns to his cleaning process. He sees no reason to not clean himself up before a first meeting. As for eating dinner after brushing his teeth, Stan always takes floss with him so he isn’t too worried about it. Stan is finishing up rinsing his mouth out when he and Eddie hear a car door shut.

“That’s probably him.” Stan looks at Eddie and feels the first bit of nerves hit him. “I guess this is it then.” Eddie grabs his arm and pulls him out to the living room, giving him a reassuring squeeze.

“Trust me, Stan, this is going to be good. Mike is the best, you are going to enjoy yourself.” He turns Stan towards him and looks him in the eye. “If at any point you aren’t feeling it or want to leave just give me a text or call and Richie and I will be there in a flash okay?” Stan nods, his heart pounding. A knock comes from the front door and Stan pulls gently away from Eddie, straightens his sweater one last time and goes to open the door. He opens the door and greets Mike who smiles warmly at him when Stan shakes his hand.

“It’s nice to meet you, Mike. Eddie has told me great things about you.” Stan can almost feel the energy swirling around them and knows somehow that this is going to end well. The look on Mike’s face looks to Stan like he is feeling the same thing. Suddenly Eddie is pushing past him onto the porch.

“Sorry guys, I gotta go pick Richie up. I hope you guys have a good time!” Eddie gives Stan a meaningful look as he hurries down the front steps. Stan and Mike both call out a goodbye as Eddie gets into his car and pulls away.

“Eddie is quite the character huh?” Mike chuckles, a sound that Stan finds not only pleasing but also soothing. He finds himself grinning at the taller man.

“You have no idea. I practically grew up with him and he is definitely an entertaining person to be friends with.” Stan locks his front door and turns back to Mike. “Shall we go then?” Mike nods at him and gestures towards the truck parked in front of the house. Mike holds the passenger door open for Stan which brings to mind the memory of his lunch with Bill all those weeks ago. Stan doesn’t want to think about Bill right now though. He turns his thoughts instead to the truck. It’s tidy on the inside and has an almost cozy, homey feeling. It makes Stan smile because it is easy to tell that Mike cares for and has pride in his vehicle.

Stan’s phone pings with a message and thinking it’s just Eddie reminding Stan to relax and have fun, he pulls it out to check it as Mike is getting in the driver's seat. The message isn’t from Eddie however, it’s from Bill as if Stan’s earlier thought had conjured him. It’s a simple message but it sends Stan’s stomach into a knotted, fluttering mess.

> ** **Bev told me you have a date tonight…hope you have fun. Let me know if you need anything.** **

Stan can’t think of anything to say right now so he locks his phone and sets it to the side.

“Everything okay?” Mike glances briefly at him but he sounds genuinely concerned. Stan forces a smile onto his face and assures his date that everything is perfectly fine. He strikes up a conversation and pushes away the thought and image of Bill. He isn’t going to let something as simple as a message ruin this night. Mike already seems like a lovely person and Stan is determined to enjoy his time with him.


	11. In Between Days

Stan is pleasantly surprised by how much he genuinely enjoys spending time with Mike. Their first date had gone extremely well, as had their second. Mike was such a kind, caring person and Stan felt a deep connection with him from the moment they had met. But no matter how sweet and funny and intelligent Mike was, it couldn’t change the fact that Stan felt no attraction to him. He could appreciate how good looking Mike was because he really was but Stan just wasn’t attracted to him.

Stan is once again standing in front of his mirror though this time he isn’t trying to figure out what to wear. This time he is simply lost in thought. He’s meeting Mike in an hour for their third date and Stan is trying to work out what to say to him. He knows it’s not fair to keep dating Mike when he doesn’t have the proper feelings but he really likes spending time with him. Stan is hoping that if he lets Mike down easy maybe they can try to continue being friends.

His phone beeping from the bed breaks Stan out of his thoughts and he crosses his room to find a few messages from Eddie wishing him luck on the date and to call him afterward. Stan sends a quick affirmative back and tosses the phone back onto the bed. He turns back to the mirror.

“You can do this. Everything is going to be fine.” He murmurs to himself and with one last calming breath to steady himself he grabs his things and heads out.

They had decided to meet at the park for a picnic in an hour but Stan figures if he gets there before Mike he might have time to do some birdwatching. He reaches the park in only twenty minutes and makes his way to his favorite bench. It feels good to be back in this spot even though the last time was not the greatest of days for him. His traitorous mind drifts instantly back to his birthday and the hopeless heartbreak he had felt when he saw Bill with Audra for the first time. A lump is rising in his throat and Stan swallows it down painfully. He isn’t going to let himself be brought down today. Not by something so completely out of his control. Instead, he pulls out his bird book and binoculars and settles into the familiarity of waiting and watching.

The next half hour or so passes rather quickly for Stan. The sudden appearance of a cowbird had surprised Stan and after confirming that it was, in fact, the bird he thought he had logged it in his book and continued to watch the bird strut around the birdbath. Stan had not seen a cowbird in this spot since he was a young boy and he hadn’t been fully certain at that time so it felt nice to know for sure now. Stan smiles softly and focuses his binoculars tighter on the bath. Stan doesn’t notice the tall figure moving towards him from the other side of the park and with his senses so focused on the birds it startles him when the person talks.

“I thought it was you sitting over here.” The smile is evident through Mike’s voice and Stan looks over at him. Mike leans his arms on the back of the bench and raises his eyebrows at Stan. “Why are you sitting way over here all by yourself?” Stan moves his book to the side and pats the empty spot beside him.

“Come sit down. I’ll show you what I was doing.” As Mike moves around to the front of the bench and sits beside him Stan checks again to see if the cowbird is still there. Confirming that it is, he hands the binoculars to Mike and points at the birdbath. “You see that bird there? The little brown one?” He waits until Mike focuses on it before continuing. “That is a cowbird. The only one I’ve seen in this park since I was around twelve.”

They sit together and observe the birds for a while, Stan telling Mike about all the different kinds that he recognizes. Stan stops to stare at Mike and finds himself wishing that he could have feelings for him. He doesn’t want to lose the connection that they obviously have with each other. He shakes his head and sighs, causing Mike to look at him.

“Is everything okay Stan?” Mike sounds concerned and Stan attempts to assure him with a smile.

“Everything is fine. I’m just hungry.” He stands and stretches his arms to the sky. “Can we set up the picnic now?” Mike is looking at him with a peculiar expression but before Stan can put his finger on what it means, Mike is standing as well. He hands Stan the binoculars and the bird book for him to put back into his bag. They start walking back the way Mike had come from, their shoulders brushing a few times. _I should be feeling something from this _Stan thinks to himself, _If it was Bill that I was walking with right now I would be feeling so much more. _He really needs to stop thinking of Bill every time he’s out with Mike, it’s not fair to anyone for him to be so caught up on someone he can’t be with.

“If you want to grab the blanket out of the front seat I’ll grab the food and stuff from the back.” Mike walks around to the tailgate of the truck and opens it. Stan opens the front door and finds a neatly folded blanket on the passenger seat. He tucks it carefully under his arm and closes the door, making sure he locks the doors again. “You can go find us a good spot, I’ll catch up.” Mike’s voice floats out from the truck bed to Stan who calls back a simple “Okay!” before he heads back toward the grass.

Stan has just laid the blanket out in a nice shady spot under one of the large oak trees when Mike walks up with an actual picnic basket and what looks to Stan to be a gift bag of some sort. Mike grins at him as he sets everything down. Stan looks between Mike and the bag that he can now see says ‘Happy Birthday’ on the side.

“What do you have in there?” Stan asks noting that Mike’s grin grows slightly.

“Well after our last date when you told me about your bird watching hobby I saw this and wanted to get it for you and Eddie told me that it was your birthday a couple of weeks ago so I thought it was perfect timing.” He hands the bag over to Stan who is honestly a little shocked that Mike wanted to get him a gift, let alone a birthday gift. He takes the bag slowly and opens it, pulling out the tissue paper and revealing a quilt. Stan pulls it out of the bag and inhales sharply. The quilt is covered in all kinds of different birds and Stan knows right away that it is handmade.

“Where did you find this?” Stan asks in wonder, looking up at Mike. Stan runs his fingers over the soft fabric and feels tears threatening the back of his eyes.

“I found it at that shop Secondhand Rose, Secondhand Clothes but apparently the lady that made this quilt is the daughter of the shop owner so he lets her sell her handmade stuff there.” Mike grins hopefully at Stan. “Do you like it? I wasn’t sure if it would be weird for me to buy you a gift since we haven’t known each other for very long.” He looked down sheepishly and Stan wished so hard that he could make himself fall in love with him. Stan reached his hand out and laid it on top of Mike’s.

“I love it Mike, thank you.” Stan takes his hand back slowly and looks at the quilt for a moment longer before returning it carefully to the bag and setting it aside. “Now, let’s eat something!” Mike chuckles and begins unloading the food from the basket.

After they finish eating and are packing up the food Stan asks if Mike wants to go for a walk through the park. He has been going over what he should say the whole time they were eating and now he needs to get it out in the open. They take the picnic things back to Mike’s truck and begin their walk. It is such a pleasant day out and Stan hopes that he isn’t about to ruin everything. They come to a stop near a small duck pond and Stan decides it is now or never.

“Hey, Mike?” Stan’s voice sounds nervous in his own ears and he clears his throat. Mike turns towards him and waits patiently for Stan to continue. Stan looks up into the kind brown eyes and a new thought crosses his mind. A last-ditch effort to feel something for the handsome man in front of him. Stan doesn’t give himself time to talk himself out of what he’s doing and he steps toward Mike purposefully. He has to get up on the tips of his toes to get his face close enough but once he does he presses his lips against Mike’s. A surprised noise escapes Mike and then he’s kissing Stan back.

The kiss doesn’t last very long but it is a nice kiss, Stan can appreciate how good it is. But as he pulls back and looks at Mike again, Stan knows for sure that there is nothing physical between the two of them.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that.” Stan tries to back away but Mike grabs his shoulder and looks him in the eye.

“It’s okay Stan. I understand why you did it. You wanted to be sure that there wasn’t anything there.” Stan is taken aback by how astute Mike is and attempts to apologize again. “You don’t need to apologize.” Mike cuts him off, “I knew after our first date that whatever it is between us, it’s not a romantic relationship we are meant to have. I think we are simply meant to be friends.” He smiles his kind smile at Stan who feels suddenly as if something has clicked into place.

“I was so worried I would end up losing you as a friend.” Stan isn’t expecting this to make Mike laugh but it does and Mike shakes his head with a grin.

“Well I wouldn’t worry about that, I think something out there wants us to be in each other's lives so you are stuck with me.” Stan smiles and Mike pulls him into a quick hug. “Now what do you say we finish this walk?”

By the time they make it back to Mike’s truck, it’s starting to get dark and Mike insists on driving Stan home. The ride is comfortable and Stan is beyond happy that he is able to have Mike as a friend. Stan pulls his phone out of his bag where it’s been all day to send Eddie a message letting him know he will call him soon and he sees a missed call and a voicemail. Clicking on the notification it tells him the message is from Bill who had apparently tried to call a couple of hours ago. Stan waits until after saying goodbye to Mike and reaching his front door before opening the voicemail and listening to it.

“Hey, Stan it’s B-bill.” Stan closes his eyes and listens intently to the sound of Bill’s voice. “I w-was just calling to see how you’ve b-b-been. Haven’t seen you in a wuh-while.” It’s been since Stan’s birthday and Stan can’t believe how much he missed Bill. “Anyway, I was w-wondering if you wanted to h-h-hang out soon? I’ve uh…” Stan can almost see Bill rubbing the back of his neck and his breath catches in his throat at the next few words. “I’ve missed you. So… uh… call me b-back. Or t-text me or whatever. Okay, b-bye th-then.” The message ends and Stan just stares at the phone. Bill misses him? Could he possibly have heard that correctly? Stan doesn’t even know how to feel right now but he knows he can’t call Bill back right now. He calls Eddie instead.

“Eddie I have so much to tell you.” He barely lets Eddie finish saying ‘Hello’ before Stan is telling him everything that has happened in the last few hours. It has been one hell of a day and Stan has a feeling that something big is looming in the distance.


	12. Sounds of Someday

Stan is sitting on his front porch watching a couple of sparrows play in a puddle when Eddie pulls up in front of the house. The birds, startled by the sound of car doors closing, took off together. Stan watches them fly side by side into the darkening sky before turning to greet his friends. He had assumed the second car door had been Richie but instead finds Bev following Eddie up the walkway. Despite the emotional turmoil inside him, Stan is happy to see Bev again.

“I brought someone along who might have some helpful insight.” Eddie grins at him and pats Stan on the shoulder. Beverly nudges Eddie out of the way and gives Stan a tight hug.

“Eddie wouldn’t tell me exactly what was going on but said it has something to do with Bill so I hope I’ll be able to help but even if I can’t you know I’m always here for support.” She smiles at him and Stan can’t help but smile back.

“Thanks for coming over you guys.” He gestures towards the front door and allows them to go inside first, closing the door behind them. “Do either of you want something to drink?” After a quick confirmation of what they want Eddie and Bev settle into the living room while Stan grabs the drinks. Joining them back in the living room Stan sits in his chair and mentally prepares himself. Bev reaches over and pats his hand reassuringly.

“Take your time Stanny. We aren’t in any rush here.” Stan takes a deep breath and decides that it’s best to just rip the band-aid off.

“I like Bill. Like really like him and over the last few months I’ve had the chance to get to know him a lot better which honestly has only made me like him even more.” He pauses to take a drink of water and sneak a glance at Bev. He can’t fully gauge what she might be thinking so he continues. “Then when he showed up at my birthday with his girlfriend,” Stan hopes the word doesn’t sound as bitter as it feels to say. “It really wrecked me to see him with someone else. Especially because he hadn’t mentioned her to me at all. I thought we had gotten to be good enough friends that he could at least tell me when he started dating someone.” Bev grabs his hand and squeezes it gently. “I thought that if I could meet someone else maybe my feelings for Bill would go away and it kind of worked for a little while. I went on a few dates with this guy Mike but after today we both decided that we weren’t meant to be in a dating relationship.” He’s glad that there’s no sadness that comes with that admission. “And even after that realization I think I would have been okay to try again with someone else but I ended up getting this message from Bill while I was on the date with Mike.” Stan pulls his phone out of his pocket and plays the message for Eddie and Bev.

“Oh my gosh…” It’s Eddie that breaks the silence after the voicemail is done. “That’s actually so sweet that he wants to see you.” Eddie looks excited but Bev looks a little sad. Stan nudges her leg gently with his foot and she looks at him.

“Oh, Stan. I wish I would have known how you felt about him earlier.” She looks away and takes a couple of small sips of her soda. She doesn’t look back at Stan when she continues. “It’s my fault he started dating Audra. He always seemed so lonely when he was at home so I told him I would try to find someone for him. I’m so sorry Stanny.” She looks on the brink of tears and Stan moves over to sit by her. He puts his arm around her and pulls her into his side.

“You have nothing to apologize for Bev. You had no way of knowing how I felt about him and you were just trying to be there for Bill.” They sit like that for a minute before Bev straightens up and turns to face Stan, grabbing his hands in both of hers.

“I do think it’s a good sign that he wants to see you though. There’s always hope Stan and I think you should definitely call him back and set something up.” She hesitates and it looks to Stan like she wants to say something else.

“What is it, Bev? What do you want to say?” She hesitates again and Stan meets Eddie’s eyes. Eddie raises his eyebrows and shrugs.

“It’s not really my place to tell you this but…” She pauses briefly once more, “I don’t think Bill and Audra are going to last very long.” She looks shyly from Stan to Eddie and back to Stan.

“Why do you think that?” Stan doesn’t like the excited glimmer of hope in his chest at the thought of Bill and Audra breaking up but he can’t deny that it’s there.

“Sometimes I can hear them arguing through the walls when she stays the night and I just don’t think Bill is very happy with her.” The little green monster inside of Stan wants to dance and cheer at this but outwardly Stan holds his composure. “Whether or not it’s true I still think you should hang out with him. I think he could use the companionship.” Eddie is quick to agree with her and Stan decides that they are right.

He assures them that he will call Bill back before the night is over and with that decided the three of them move on to other things. Things like how Bev is convinced that Ben is planning to propose soon and hypothetically what the wedding would be like if he does. They talk for another hour or so before they have to leave. Stan walks them out and Bev hugs him tightly once more.

“Let me know how everything goes with Bill and if you ever need a mole on the inside I’m your gal.” She winks at him and kisses his cheek. Eddie also hugs him and makes Stan promise to call him after he calls Bill.

“I want to know when you two will be hanging out so I can help you get ready again.” Stan laughs but promises to keep him updated. He stays on the porch until they pull away and he can no longer see the car as it disappears down the dimly lit street. He goes back inside to call Bill. He attempts to calm himself with a couple of deep breaths but is surprised when the line only rings twice before Bill picks up.

“Hello?” Bill sounds slightly breathless and Stan hopes he isn’t interrupting anything.

“Hey, Bill! Just returning your call from earlier. I hope this isn’t a bad time.” He holds his breath waiting for the response.

“N-no! This is a g-great time actually.” Stan doesn’t even try to stop the smile from stretching across his face. “I take it you g-got my muh-message?”

“As a matter of fact I did get the message and I am definitely down to do something together.” Stan wanders over to his TV stand and grabs the CD case with the handmade CD that Bill had lent to him. He slides his fingers over the words written in black sharpie. “Did you have any ideas of when you would be available?”

“Oh well if you are free t-tomorrow we could d-do something then? I know it’s a luh-little short n-notice…” His voice trails off and Stan wants to reach through the phone and comfort him but since that is not physically possible he settles for using his words.

“That would actually be great! I don’t have anything going on tomorrow and I would really enjoy seeing you.” Stan’s heart is starting to beat faster at the thought of seeing Bill so soon. “Did you have any thoughts about what we could do?” Stan sets the CD back down and moves to sit on the couch.

“Honestly I hadn’t g-gotten that far with the plans.” He sounds a bit sheepish and Stan grins at the mental image of how Bill probably looks right now. “Is there anything of interest th-that you w-would want to do?” Stan takes a moment to think about that and suddenly an idea hits him.

“How do you feel about going for a hike? There’s a really nice hiking trail by the quarry and it’s the best time of year to do it.” It was a path he had gone on many times with Eddie and Richie and even sometimes by himself but that was mostly just for looking for birds.

“That s-sounds really nice actually. I w-would love that. What do you s-say I p-pick you up around two?” Stan can hear the excitement in Bill’s voice and it’s mirrored in his own voice when he confirms the time. “Perfect! I w-will see you tomorrow at t-two. Have a good night Stan.” They say goodbye and Stan sits there holding his phone and grinning. He is so excited for tomorrow and hopes that it will go well.

Calling Eddie doesn’t take long and then Stan is left to himself to think about all the things that could happen tomorrow and even though he knows it’s wrong he can’t help wishing that tomorrow was happening without Bill being with Audra. He doesn’t want those thoughts to be in his head so he instead thinks about the possibilities of birds he might see and how nice it will be just to hang out with his friend again.


	13. All Our Own

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Mention of blood

Stan wakes up to the sound of birds chirping and a clear blue sky peeking through his curtains. He smiles sleepily and rolls onto his other side to check the time. Instead, he finds multiple messages and a few missed calls from Eddie. Sitting up in bed, Stan hits the call back button and stretches while he waits. Eddie answers after only two rings.

“Well look who finally decided to wake up! Did you forget about your big plans for today?” Stan rolls his eyes and puts the call on speaker so he can make his bed. Eddie continues without giving Stan a chance to respond. “When should I come over? Now that you’re awake I was thinking I could come over soon, maybe even bring some breakfast or something? What do you think?” Stan waits a second to make sure Eddie is actually done talking before responding.

“Good morning to you too, Eddie. You can come over now if you want to,” He pauses with a yawn and another stretch. “But only if you get breakfast from The Clubhouse.” Eddie laughs but agrees and tells Stan he will be there in twenty minutes. Stan shakes his head with a smile and tosses his phone onto the freshly made bed. He uses the next twenty minutes to shower and start a pot of coffee. Eddie shows up with two paper bags filled with delicious smells and even better food. They sit together on the couch to eat and discuss Stan’s plan for the day. The closer it gets to two o’clock the more excited Stan gets.

Eddie hangs out for the next few hours, helping Stan put together a backpack of things he might need on the hike. Stan, always prepared, makes sure that the backpack has what is needed but isn’t so heavy to be annoying on the hike. A couple of water bottles, a lightweight rain jacket rolled up to conserve space, two extra pairs of socks, insect repellent, sunscreen, one crank-powered flashlight, and a headlamp, extra batteries, a compass, waterproof matches and a pocket knife all go into the main section of the backpack. In the smaller front pocket, Stan makes sure he has his bird book and binoculars but also a freshly stocked first aid kit and a cleaning kit for his binoculars.

Around one o’clock Stan receives a text from Bill asking if he would like to get together early to grab some lunch before they head to the quarry. With encouragement from Eddie, Stan agrees and tells Bill he can be ready in thirty minutes. His excitement levels go through the roof and Eddie drags him to the bedroom to find clothing that is not only suitable for hiking but will also make him look great.

“We are trying to pique his interest in you so we have to make sure you look good in whatever you wear.” Eddie starts pulling clothes out of Stan’s closet and tossing them at his bed. “Green and blue are definitely the two colors that look best on you and I think shorts are a good choice since it’s so nice out today.” Stan looks through the pile of clothes on the bed and has to admit that Eddie does seem to know what he’s talking about. All the clothes he has picked out so far are the most flattering on Stan. He grabs a simple green and white striped shirt and khaki-colored shorts.

“Thanks, Eddie. I think I’m going to wear this.” He holds the outfit up for Eddie to see and he nods in approval.

“That’s a good look. The green will make your eyes look really nice.” He smiles at Stan and pushes him into the bathroom. “Now go get ready. Mr. Dreamy will be here soon and I know you don’t want to make him wait so go.” Stan laughs at the Mr. Dreamy comment but stalls in closing the bathroom door.

“What about my clothes,” He looks at the pile still on his bed. “I can’t just leave all that there.” The thought of that is enough to give Stan a panic attack.

“Don’t worry about that Stanny, I’ll put it away.” He pushes Stan further into the bathroom and grabs the door to pull it shut. “And before you say anything, yes. I know where it all goes. We have been friends too long for me to not know how you organize your closet.” He shuts the bathroom door and Stan lets out a breath. He looks at himself in the mirror trying to calm his racing heart and starts getting ready for the day.

Bill shows up at exactly 1:30 and Stan, who was standing on his porch waiting, waves as the familiar car pulls up in front of the house. He double-checks that the door is locked and makes his way to the curb. Bill hops out of the car and gives Stan a hug which seems to surprise them both. Bill backs away quickly and rubs the back of his neck.

“H-hey Stan. I feel like I haven’t s-seen you in so l-long.” Bill smiles shyly at him and moves to open the passenger door.

“Thanks, Bill.” Stan slides the backpack off his shoulder and gets into the car. He can feel the heat in his cheeks already but he’s smiling. Bill goes around to get into the driver’s seat and Stan thinks there might be some pink to his cheeks as well.

“I don’t know what all y-you have in your backpack but I also b-brought some stuff.” He tilts his head to the back seat where a simple drawstring bag is sitting. “J-just a couple Gatorades and suh-some snacks.” He shrugs and starts the car, pulling away from the curb.

After a quick bite to eat the two of them make their way to the hiking trail. They park at the small rest area that marks the beginning of the trail. They get out of the car and Stan pulls his binoculars out of his backpack. He loops the strap around his neck and allows the familiar weight to settle against his chest. He double-checks that everything is still in the bag and zips it carefully back up before securing it on his back. Stan looks up to find Bill watching him with a small smile playing on his lips.

“R-ready when you are.” Bill gestures for Stan to take the lead and falls into step next to him as they start up the trail. It’s a beautiful day and Stan breathes in the fresh air. The subtle smell of flowers growing wild and uninhibited makes Stan smile as they walk quietly up the path. He looks at Bill who is looking around in wonder.

“What do you think so far?” Stan asks with a grin. He can tell that Bill is enjoying the view, especially as the trail takes them to a slightly higher vantage point.

“It’s so p-pretty up here. I c-can’t believe I’ve n-never been here before.” Bill returns Stan’s smile, his eyes lighting up. They continue on the trail, taking their time and really enjoying the view. A gentle breeze drifts over them and with it is the sound of bird song. Stan reaches out and touches Bill’s shoulder gently to bring him to a stop. Stan finds the direction of the sound and brings his binoculars up to his eyes. He searches the trees until he finds the source. A white-throated sparrow sitting low in a tree.

“Bill, come here.” He gestures for Bill to come closer and hands him the binoculars. “That there is a white-throated sparrow. Notice the yellow markings above the eyes.” Stan watches as Bill finds the little bird. After a second, Bill hands the binoculars back, their hands brushing slightly.

“Wow, Stan, you r-really know a lot about b-birds. It’s actually really cool.” They smile at each other and Stan is suddenly very aware of how close they’re standing. He backs up a step and pretends to look at the sparrow again.

“Thanks, Bill. It’s nice to have someone appreciate my bird knowledge.” He laughs nervously and brings his binoculars back to resting on his chest. “Well, we should keep going if we ever want to make it back to the car.” Bill nods and they continue. They settled into a surprisingly comfortable silence only interrupted by some light small talk and the occasional stop to look at birds. Stan is delighted that every time he stops to look at birds, Bill asks about them. Stan tries to show him any new bird he might see and giving a bit of information about each new species they find.

Eventually, the conversation takes a more uncomfortable turn when Bill asks about Stan’s most recent attempt at dating.

“Bev told m-me you were seeing s-someone, how is th-that going?” Stan must be imagining the somewhat tense tone that Bill’s voice seems to take on when asking the question. Stan was hoping to avoid talking about this particular topic with Bill but he supposes it’s good that Bill is interested in how things are for Stan.

“Well I went on a few dates with this guy from Eddie’s history class but we actually decided that dating wasn’t really working for us. We get along really well though so we’re both hoping that being friends will be better.” Stan notices a bit of a shift in Bill’s overall mood after that. He seems slightly happier and if Stan didn’t know better he would say that Bill was glad to learn that Stan was no longer dating someone. Stan ignores the little bit of hope and figures that now is an appropriate time to ask about Bill’s dating life. “What about you? How are you and Audra?” It takes all of Stan’s will to not let any bitterness out when saying her name. Bill doesn’t answer right away, instead, he keeps his eyes focused on a rock that he’s kicking.

“Well… Things c-could probably be b-better if I’m being honest.” It feels like Stan’s heart stops beating for a second and his footsteps slow until he comes to a complete stop. Bill stops a few steps ahead of him. Stan waits, wondering if he should ask or if Bill is going to tell him unprompted. “It’s just that s-sometimes I feel luh-like we don’t really fit v-very well t-together. Like there’s suh-something missing w-when I’m with h-her.” Stan can tell that this is hard for Bill to be admitting and he takes a couple of steps toward him until they are standing together again.

“Bill…” Stan reaches his hand to put it on Bill’s shoulder but hesitates. Bill must sense the hesitation because he plasters a big smile onto his face and turns away from Stan.

“But it’s f-fine. We are fine.” He starts walking again and Stan lets his hand fall back to his side. Bill stops a few feet ahead of him and turns to look back. “You coming or w-what, s-slow poke?” The smile Bill gives him is more natural and Stan nods softly and walks forward to catch up.

“There’s a little sitting area up here a bit. We should probably rest there for a minute before we continue.” The next few minutes are spent in silence with only the sounds of nature between them. Reaching the sitting area they take their bags off and sit on one of the two benches. Stan takes out the bottles of water and hands one to Bill. They sit quietly, looking out over the water. Stan takes his bird book out and flips to the back where he keeps a journal of all the birds he sees. He starts putting in all the different species he’s seen today. He doesn’t notice Bill watching him and is startled when Bill speaks.

“You have really n-nice handwriting.” Stan looks up in surprise and meets Bill’s eyes. His cheeks are turning pink and he looks away. “Sorry. I d-didn’t mean to read over y-your shoulder. I j-just happened to notice.” Stan chuckles and assures him that it’s fine.

“If you want to, you can read it. It’s just a log of which birds I see on certain days and where I see them.” He slides a little closer to Bill and shows him the book. “I start with the date, then the location and then the species. Sometimes if I see more than one of the same species I’ll note the differences in markings.” Bill grabs the book gently and angles it more toward himself to read some of the logs.

“You really have a p-passion for this don’t you?” His voice is soft and Stan is close enough to see the light freckles on Bill’s face. His mouth goes dry and he swallows hard. He uses the excuse of drinking more water to lean away from Bill.

“Yeah, I’ve been bird watching since I was really young so I guess you could say I’m pretty passionate about it.” Bill is still reading through the logs when Stan hears another bird’s song. It’s one he isn’t familiar with and he stands up, walking toward the sound. About fifteen feet from the benches the trail starts to dip downward towards a more tree-filled part of the quarry. Stan stops at the top of the sloping path and uses his binoculars to search the leafy coverage ahead of him. It doesn’t take long to find the source of the unfamiliar song and Stan is taken aback. He has never before seen this particular bird in real life and he excitedly takes a couple of steps forward.

His binoculars still trained on the small shape of the uncommon blue-headed vireo, Stan doesn’t see the rock in front of him and his foot catches against it. He loses his balance and attempts to gain his footing but only succeeds in twisting his ankle. He falls forward, throwing his hands out instinctively to catch himself. A pained cry escapes his mouth as the bare skin of his knees and hands meet the rocky path and he can feel the stones tearing into him. He shifts off his knees and sits on the path. His breath hisses through his clenched teeth as he looks at his bloody hands and knees. Suddenly Bill is beside him with a hand on his back and a worried look on his face.

“Oh my God, Stan, are y-you okay?” The panic in his voice is matched by his wide eyes. “Come on, can you s-stand?” Bill’s hands move to Stan’s elbow to try to help him up.

“I think I twisted my ankle.” Stan can feel the blood trickling down from his knees and a sharp pain shoots up from his left ankle. “Ow, yeah. I definitely twisted it. Can you help me back to the bench?” Bill nods and they slowly make their way back to the bench with Bill supporting most of Stan’s weight. “I have a first aid kit in my backpack.” Bill is already unzipping the bag as Stan sits heavily on the bench. Bill holds the kit out to Stan who looks down at his hands and back up to Bill. “Uh… I think I’m going to need help with that.” He shows Bill his bleeding hands. With only a moment of hesitation, Bill kneels in front of Stan and takes one of his hands gently in his own.

“I’m going to clean it f-first, okay? This is going to sting.” Bill’s voice is as gentle as his touch and Stan focuses on that instead of the stinging of the hydrogen peroxide. Bill continues to talk to him in the same soothing tone as he cleans and bandages both of Stan’s hands. “Alright, hands are all d-done. I have to do the knees n-now.” Bill looks up at him and Stan feels his heart swell. The clear blue sky above them can not compete with the blue of Bill’s eyes. Stan could get lost in those eyes if he was allowed to look into them long enough.

The stinging of his knee brings his thoughts back to what’s happening. Bill is finishing up the second knee and after cleaning all the blood off of Stan’s legs he presses a gentle kiss to each knee cap. They both freeze and Bill looks slowly up at Stan who is sitting there with his mouth hanging open slightly. Bill looks as surprised as Stan feels and he jumps up to his feet.

“I’m s-so sorry. I sh-shouldn’t have d-done that. I d-don’t k-know what I w-was thinking.” Bill is talking fast and running his hand through his hair. “It’s juh-just what I used t-to do for Georgie and--” He stops abruptly, turning wide eyes to Stan. “I’m sorry.” Stan tries to stand up and calm Bill but pain shoots up his leg again. He sits back down, breathing heavily.

“Bill, it’s okay. Really, it’s not a big deal.” He reaches his hand out and gently touches Bill’s wrist with his fingertips. The light touch seems to help a little bit and Bill sits on the bench next to Stan, putting his head in his hands. Stan’s heart is racing because Bill _kissed him, _it might have just been on his knees but it was still Bill’s lips on Stan. Even with all this though, Stan is worried about Bill. Obviously there’s something pretty big that Bill is keeping to himself. Something that involves someone named Georgie. Stan wants so badly to find out what is going on but he knows in his heart that now is not the time to press Bill for more information. Instead, he puts his hand on Bill’s back. His scraped palms are still hurting so he uses his fingertips to gently rub up and down on Bill’s back. Once Bill is calmed down he straightens up and looks at Stan.

“Are y-you sure you are okay Stan? What even h-happened?” Stan moves his hand off Bill’s back and folds both hands into his lap. He looks down at the bandages and tells Bill about the bird he’d seen. He doesn’t expect Bill to grab the bird book off the bench next to him and open it to the back. “Do you mind if I write it for y-you? I don’t think you w-will be able to hold the p-pen.” The look Bill gives him is so cute, equal parts hopeful and shy, that Stan agrees. He tells Bill what to write and though it should bother him to have a different person’s writing in his journal it doesn’t. In fact, it feels kind of special to have Bill be a part of his bird logs now. When he finishes writing the vireo log he stands. “H-how close are we to being d-done with the hike?” Stan tells him that they are close to the end of the trail which will lead them to the opposite end of the parking lot from where it began. Bill nods and begins to pack up all their stuff and puts his bag inside Stan’s backpack.

“Why did you do that?” Stan asks, thoroughly confused. Bill looks at him and points down at Stan’s ankle.

“If y-you think I’m g-going to let you walk on that ankle you are t-terribly mistaken.” He gives Stan a crooked smile. “You are going t-to wear this b-backpack and I am going to g-give you a piggy-back ride to the car.” He looks at Stan as if he’s challenging him to argue about it but Stan knows that he’s right. There is no way he would be able to make it all the way to the parking lot on his ankle.

“Fine. You aren’t giving me much of a choice so I guess this is what has to happen.” He gives Bill a pout which makes him laugh. Bill helps him get the backpack on then by some miracle they manage to get Stan onto Bill’s back. Stan hopes his pounding heart isn’t too noticeable and that Bill won’t have too much trouble carrying him all the way back to the car.

Stan is surprised that they make it to the parking lot as fast as they do. Bill gently and carefully helps Stan into the front seat of the car and Stan is overwhelmed by how grateful he is to have spent this day with Bill. As they start to drive back to Stan’s house he gets a burst of courage and invites Bill to come in and hang out for a while and offers to order a pizza.

“I would l-love to, Stan.” Bill gives him a soft smile and Stan feels his chest fill with butterflies. It has been such a special day and he knows that this day will remain in his heart for a long time, scrapes and all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter inspired in part by this beautiful art. Go check out this artist and show them some love!  
https://hohnoni.tumblr.com/post/166191218591/heres-some-teenage-stenborough  



	14. Magnetized

The late August heat crept into the truck as Stan sat, silently watching Mike drum his fingers nervously on the steering wheel. Mike’s eyes were focused on the stoplight in front of them and he didn’t notice Stan staring. He continued the tapping and Stan reached his hand across the middle console to lightly touch his friend’s arm. The small touch made Mike jump and he glanced quickly at Stan.

“Calm down, Mike. Everything’s going to be fine.” Mike was usually so relaxed but today was kind of important for them both. Stan was introducing Mike into the friend group. Of course, Mike already sort of knew Eddie from class but Stan knows that it’s a lot different for them to know each other outside of school. They were on their way to Bev’s house to meet everyone and even though Stan is sure his friends are going to love Mike, he can’t help feeling a little nervous. Mike has become a close friend to Stan and it’s important to him that all his friends get along.

They pull up in front of the quaint little house and park behind Eddie’s car. Mike turns the truck off and stares out the windshield. The quiet feels like a weight on Stan’s skin and he fidgets with the edge of his T-shirt. Mike looks over at him and Stan offers a smile that he hopes comes off as encouraging. It must work because Mike’s shoulders relax slightly and he returns the smile.

“Well, I guess we should go in then?” It’s phrased like a question so Stan nods in agreement. They get out of the truck and Stan leads the way to the door, painted a pale pretty yellow, and knocks. Bev opens the door looking as lovely as ever in a blue floral dress cinched at the waist with a brown belt. She gives them both a large smile and ushers them into the house. The sound of laughter is coming from the living room to their right and Stan resists the urge to peek around the corner.

“Bev this is my friend Mike Hanlon, Mike this is Beverly Marsh.” Stan steps aside to allow the two of them to shake hands but Bev surprises him by giving Mike a hug.

“It is so nice to finally meet you! Any friend of Stan’s is a friend of mine.” She smiles at him, loops her arm through his and pulls him toward the living room. “Now come on! Everyone’s been waiting. You too, Stan.” Mike gives a slightly perplexed look over his shoulder which Stan responds to with a shrug and a smile. He follows behind them into the living room. The introductions are made, including a typical Richie performance of one of his voices. Bev pulls Mike over to the couch to sit next to her and Ben. She strikes up a conversation about Mike’s family as Stan turns to find a place to sit. He notices that Eddie and Richie are squished together on the recliner and the only free spot to sit is on the small two-seat sofa which just happens to be where Bill is sitting. He is currently engaged talking with Richie and as Stan settles into the empty space he catches Eddie grinning at him. By the wink and eyebrow wiggle that Eddie gives him, Stan is sure that this seating arrangement was not an accident.

“Alright everyone,” Bev says, standing and clapping her hands together to get the attention of her house guests, “We have a variety of games to choose from but I think we should start with a classic.” She pauses for effect, looking around at each of the six boys. “Drum-roll please!” Richie begins banging on the edge of the recliner to produce a muffled and anticlimactic drumming sound. “Cards against humanity!” With a flourish, Bev reveals the black box. Richie cheers and bounces up and down in his seat, earning a glare from Eddie.

Bev comes up with an idea of working in teams of two and since they have an uneven amount of people, Ben volunteers to read and choose the winning cards. Bev chooses Mike as her partner and, of course, Eddie and Richie are a team. This leaves Stan to partner with Bill which only confirms his suspicion that Bev and Eddie have planned today to get him and Bill closer.

Ben deals out the cards for each team and almost instantly the whispered bickering begins between Richie and Eddie. Bev and Mike prove to be a great team and win the first couple of rounds until Richie calls shenanigans, accusing Ben of being a sucker for Bev’s smile. Bev winks at Richie before blowing a kiss to a blushing Ben. Stan and Bill are also working well together, coming in a close second behind Mike and Bev. Every time they win a round, Bill gives Stan a big smile and bumps their shoulders together playfully.

After about an hour of playing, Eddie suggests they take a break to eat some food. Stan has a feeling the real reason he wants to stop is that Richie keeps switching their cards when Eddie wasn’t looking. Either way, Eddie heads to the kitchen to grab the pizzas and the rest of the snacks. Stan follows to help him.

“So,” Eddie begins, after checking to make sure they were alone, “Things seem to be going pretty well with you and Bill huh?” He grins and passes the pizza boxes to Stan.

“I guess so,” Stan’s cheeks heat as he recalls how close they’ve been sitting today. “It definitely feels like we aren’t as awkward around each other.” Stan returns Eddie’s smile before jerking his head back towards the living room. “We should probably get this food out there before everyone riots.” Eddie chuckles but nods. They go back out to their friends and lay the food out for everyone to reach. Stan settles back into his seat next to Bill, who gives him a soft smile. After filling his plate, Bill leans back against the couch and throws his arm across the back of it. Even though there are a few inches between his shoulders and Bill’s arm, Stan can feel the warmth. His whole body feels full of adrenaline and Stan tries to control his breathing as he eats, keeping his eyes on the food in front of him.

Stan’s focus on his inner turmoil is broken when Mike asks the group how they all met. This leads to everyone recounting their own experiences and eventually Stan is too happy to be nervous about Bill’s close proximity. The stories continue and as Bev and Ben are telling their own personal love story, Stan looks around at his group of friends and feels the overwhelming rightness of them all being together. Even Mike, who had just met the rest of the group, feels like he has been a part of them the whole time. By the time everyone has mostly finished eating, they have all decided to move on to some other games. Bev has a whole stack for them to choose from so one is chosen at random.

They’ve almost played through all of the available games when Eddie announces that he and Richie have to get going.

“Richie has class tomorrow and I have work.” He stands and stretches. “It’s been great spending time with you all.” He gives Bev a hug and says goodbye to the rest of them. Richie follows suit and they leave together, calling more goodbyes from the door as they go. Stan gets up after the door shuts.

“Yeah, I should probably get going as well.” He starts to gather up all the food they didn’t eat and takes it into the kitchen. He knows that Bev doesn’t expect him to do this but he wouldn’t be able to rest easy if he left her house this way. Stan is putting away leftovers into storage containers when he hears someone come into the kitchen. Turning around, he finds Bill throwing some stuff in the trash. Bill smiles as their eyes meet and he joins Stan at the counter to help put everything away.

“S-so Mike is pretty c-cool. Where did you meet h-him?” Bill sounds genuinely interested and Stan has no reason to lie to him but something makes Stan hesitate.

“Oh,” He uses going to the fridge to put things away as an excuse to not answer right away. “You remember how I told you about that guy I went out with a couple of times but it didn’t work out? Mike was the guy. But we realized almost immediately after meeting that we weren’t going to work out as a couple.” Stan shrugs and turns back to Bill, finding him standing right next to him with the rest of the containers. Stan puts them in the fridge and closes the door. Bill is still standing next to him and as Stan turns away from the fridge Bill grabs his hand gently. Stan feels his heart stop and he sucks in a sharp breath. Bill turns Stan’s hand so it’s facing up, showing the almost fully healed scratches. Bill traces the small pink lines with one feather-light fingertip. Stan is holding his breath and he feels the room shrink down until it’s just him and Bill and the small amount of space between them. Bill looks up from where their hands are still joined and the look he gives Stan is just as soft as his fingers were.

“I’m glad they’re almost healed,” His voice is quiet, barely louder than a whisper, and Stan feels himself leaning toward that gentle voice. The space between them closes a little bit more as Stan shifts imperceptibly and the energy between them feels like electricity dancing on his skin.

“Hey, Stan, you almost ready to go?” The sound of Mike’s voice coming around the corner of the kitchen causes Stan and Bill to jump apart. Stan’s heart is racing and his face is on fire. Mike looks between them and his eyes widen a bit. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt.” He starts to back out of the kitchen.

“Oh, no no! We were just putting away the leftovers.” Stan glances at Bill, whose face is also red. He looks confused and Stan wants desperately to comfort him but he doesn’t know how.

“Y-yeah. Just l-leftovers.” Bill rubs at the back of his neck and moves toward the hallway. “I’ll s-see you g-guys later. It was n-nice meeting you Muh-mike.” He walks away toward the bedrooms without a second glance back. Stan leans against the fridge and bangs his head gently on the door.

“Stan, I am so sorry.” Mike moves forward to put a hand on Stan’s shoulder. “I really didn’t mean to interrupt.” Stan notes the distressed look on Mike’s face and shakes his head.

“It’s okay Mikey. Nothing was even happening.” Mike doesn’t look convinced but nods. “Now let’s get out of here.” They say a quick goodbye to Bev and Ben, Mike thanking them for having him over, and they leave. Stan gets into the truck and pulls his phone out. He opens his messages with Bill and stops. He doesn’t even know what to say. They obviously had a moment but would it have gone any further if Mike hadn’t come in? Would it have mattered even if something _had_ happened? After all, Bill is still dating Audra. Stan closes his messages without typing anything and finds Mike looking at him.

“Stan, I can tell that you have feelings for Bill and I want you to know that I’m here for you if and whenever you need me.” Stan smiles and nods.

“Thanks, Mike. I really appreciate it.” Mike smiles at him and starts the truck. The drive to Stan’s house is quiet and even the goodbye they exchange as Stan gets out is quick and simple. Stan goes into his empty, silent house and finds himself wishing once again that things were different for him and Bill. He holds onto the small glimmer of hope inside of himself because, for now, that’s all he has.


	15. Sometimes Sun

The long August days are coming to an end as September creeps closer. The flower shop has a light but steady stream of customers with summer coming to a close. Stan is working the front of the store when the bell chimes above the front door.

“H-hey, you.” The familiar voice is quiet and tentative and Stan turns toward it. Bill is standing a few feet away from him, hands buried in his pockets. It’s only been a few days since the get-together at Bev’s but Stan hasn’t talked to Bill since they were interrupted in the kitchen. His text drafts are currently filled with words that weren’t right and things he couldn’t bring himself to say. None of that matters now that Bill is standing in front of him.

“Hi, Bill.” Stan hates how awkward it feels between them. Their eyes meet and Stan doesn’t want to look away. The silence stretches to a breaking point and it’s Bill’s gentle voice that finally breaks it.

“I’m s-sorry about the other d-day, Stan. I don’t know wuh-what came over m-me.” Bill looks down at his feet and Stan’s heart clenches at the sadness and regret coming off of the red-head. He steps forward and puts a hand on Bill’s shoulder.

“There’s nothing to apologize for.” Bill looks back up to his face and being this close, Stan can see all the different shades of blue in Bill’s eyes. Those eyes search Stan’s face for a moment and Bill nods slightly. Stan backs away half a step in an attempt to put a stop to the thoughts creeping into his head. He pushes the intense wanting down and smiles. “So are we good then?” He doesn’t have to pretend to sound hopeful. Bill’s face breaks into a wide smile that Stan can’t help but return in full force.

“We are d-definitely good.” The smile turns a bit nervous and Bill rubs his neck. “Actually, I was huh-hoping you w-would want to hang out t-today?” He turns wide, hopeful eyes on Stan who struggles not to chuckle. “After you’re d-done with w-work of course.” Stan is already nodding before Bill has finished, his face beginning to ache from his smile.

“I would love to hang out after work. Anything in particular that you want to do?” Stan is starting to feel almost giddy with excitement.

“Well, I w-was actually thinking about g-going to try and find Bev a b-birthday present. Would y-you like to j-join me?” Stan nods enthusiastically. He’s always had a talent for finding great gifts. Just then, the door chimes again and a customer comes in. “Okay, I’ll let y-you get back to w-work. See you in a f-few hours.” With a quick wave goodbye, Bill heads for the door. He looks back before leaving and smiles when he sees Stan staring after him. Stan is still smiling when the door swings shut and he turns to the customer.

The next few hours drag painfully slow and Stan is suddenly sure that some unknown entity has frozen time just to mess with him. Finally, after what feels like days, it's time to lock up. As eager as Stan is, he forces himself to not rush through the end-of-the-day tasks so as not to make any mistakes. Stan pulls his phone out of his pocket with one hand as he locks the door with the other. He intends to call Bill to let him know he’s off work but before he can, he hears someone clear their throat behind him. He turns to find Bill, casually leaning against the hood of his car. He grins at Stan and walks over to him.

“Hey, how was the r-rest of your d-day?” It’s a simple question but it fills Stan with longing. He imagines a day when he comes home from work to be greeted with this smile. When he can say hello with a kiss instead of just a shy smile. But that day is not today and the man standing in front of him is just a friend. So Stan smiles and ignores the aching in his chest.

“It was pretty slow after you left, only one other person came in.” Stan shrugs and looks at Bill inquisitively. “Are we still going shopping for Bev?” He ignores the thrill he feels from saying ‘we’. Bill grins again and nods.

“I thought we c-could start here on M-main Street since there are a l-lot of cool older st-stores.” He gestures down the street at the array of brick buildings lining the road. “Bev likes wuh-weird old stuff so I figure we would h-have the best luck here.” Stan agrees and they set off down the sidewalk. They walk slowly, peering into all the storefront windows. A few stores down from the flower shop they come across a well-kept window display of an antique shop. Stan is instantly drawn to a small bronze birdcage that has been converted into a hanging light fixture.

“Let’s go in here, it looks like they have some pretty cool stuff.” Stan looks up from the birdcage and finds Bill smiling at him. “What?” Stan asks self-consciously. Bill shakes his head, still smiling.

“N-nothing. Come on, let’s see w-what they have.” Bill opens the door for Stan to go in first which makes Stan blush slightly. As he passes the threshold it feels like he stepped into the past. Old vintage items are piled everywhere and Stan doesn’t know where to start. Bill heads straight for a display of vintage signs and Stan watches him for a moment, smiling, before walking off in a random direction. He finds a section filled with antique jewelry. He’s looking through some old brooches that look pretty interesting when Bill comes up behind him. He’s holding a vintage sign claiming PSYCHIC READINGS $5 TAROT CARDS AND CRYSTAL BALL.

“Wow, that is definitely a good find for Bev.” Bill agrees and shuffles closer to Stan to see what he was looking at. Stan can feel Bill pressed lightly against his side and his body flushes with heat.

“Whoa. These are all pretty c-cool.” Bill’s gaze moves down to a selection of bracelets, all of which had seen better days. “You know, when w-we were k-kids, Bev used to have a l-little charm bracelet. It was kind of d-dinky and cheap but sh-she loved it.” It was like something clicks into place and Stan puts a hand on Bill’s arm to get his attention. Bill looks up and raises his eyebrows.

“What if we got her a charm bracelet but we all chose a different charm. It could be a cool group present.” It sounds even better when Stan says it out loud. Bill’s eyes light up and he smiles widely.

“That is s-such a good idea, Stan!” Bill’s excitement for the idea is contagious and Stan pulls his phone out to send a group text to Richie, Eddie, Ben, and Mike. He tells all of them the idea and to have them all think of what they'd want their charm to be. Stan puts his phone away, already thinking about what he's going to choose and how much, he knew, Bev is going to like the present.

The two of them go up to the counter, brainstorming ideas for charms and Bill pays for the sign. They leave the antique shop and continue down Main Street. Stan is still wanting to find something to give Bev specifically from him. The street is quiet and their arms keep brushing as they walk past storefront after storefront. Stan desperately wants to reach down and lace his fingers with Bill’s. This urge is cut off abruptly when Stan glances into the window of a small boutique styled shop. Stan comes to a stop in front of the shop. On display in the window is a denim jacket with a bunch of vintage-looking patches all over it. Without hesitation, Stan goes into the store, Bill following him in so they can look at the jacket in the window.

“I th-think it’s meant to be.” Bill chuckles at the sentiment but Stan knows he isn’t kidding. The shop owner comes over to help them and less than five minutes later they are out the door and walking back towards the flower shop. Stan is pleased with how successful their shopping trip was and he’s excited to get started on the group bracelet.

They reach Bill’s car and Stan isn’t sure if this is where he should say goodbye. Bill puts his gift for Bev in the back seat and turns to Stan, still standing on the sidewalk.

“Are you g-getting in or what?” Bill’s grin feels like a challenge and Stan laughs, shaking his head in amusement.

“Are you going to kidnap me if I don’t get in?” He raises one eyebrow playfully and Bill’s grin widens. He steps away from the car and towards Stan.

“If by k-kidnap you mean take you with m-me to get some food and more huh-hanging out, then yes. I d-do believe I will kidnap you.” Stan laughs again but feels his face grow warm. He raises his hands slightly in surrender.

“Alright, alright. I’ll go quietly.” Bill moves to open the passenger door for Stan, a smile still on his face. “But only if I get to choose where we eat.” He takes Bill’s laughter as an agreement to the terms and he gets into the car.

Stan feels as light as a bird as they pull out of the parking space and Bill turns on some music. There is something about being with Bill that just feels right and Stan allows himself to soak up the warm feeling that is surrounding him.


	16. Skipping Stones

September blows into Derry on chilled winds and with it comes Bev’s birthday. Stan’s living room is currently covered in streamers and the number of balloons is growing by the minute. Eddie, of course, has jobs for everyone present so Richie and Mike are delegated to blowing up the balloons. Stan is relieved that Eddie assigned him the position of Official Gift Wrapper. Everyone had brought over their individual gifts the previous night so Stan could have a head start. The only one missing is the group charm bracelet but Bill is on his way to pick it up before he heads to the party.

Stan looks down at his watch after finishing wrapping Richie’s gift, a selection of vinyl copies of Bev’s favorite albums, and sighs softly. It’s been almost half an hour since Bill said he was leaving his place and Stan is getting anxious. The anxiety stems mostly from the fact that this is the first time Bill will be inside Stan’s house. He's contemplating texting Bill to see how soon he’ll be here when Eddie comes hurrying over.

“Get a move on Stan the Man! Ben and Bev are going to be here soon and you still have a couple things to wrap.” He gestures to the two gifts sitting unwrapped on the table. “Also, I asked Bill to pick up a few things from the grocery store on his way here but he shouldn’t be too much longer.” Eddie winks and hurries off to micromanage the other two. Stan shakes his head in amusement but grabs the last two presents to start wrapping them.

Just as Stan finishes wrapping the last gift, a knock comes from the front door. Stan opens it and grins at the tall red-head. Bill has his arms full of grocery bags filled with snacks and drinks but he smiles back at Stan.

“Can I help you with any of that?” Stan offers, gesturing for Bill to come in. Bill steps in carefully and Stan closes the door behind him.

“A-actually, if you reach into my j-jacket,” He turns and lifts his arms to give Stan access, “The b-bracelet is in there. It even c-came in a l-little gift box.” Stan moves the jacket away from Bill’s side and reaches into the pocket. The box is smooth and black and has _Beverly_ etched into the top of it. Stan resists the urge to open it and moves away from the front door.

“Come on, let’s go put that stuff down.” Bill nods and follows him into the kitchen. He sets all the bags down onto the counter and Stan helps him take everything out. A beeping comes from Bill’s pocket and he pulls his phone out. His brow furrows as he looks at it and he shoves it back into his pocket with a sigh. He leans against the counter and rubs his hands over his eyes. Stan puts the sodas in the fridge and steps closer to Bill.

“Bill? Is everything okay?” Stan places his hand lightly on Bill’s arm until he drops his hands from his face, the confusion, and frustration clear to see.

“It’s Audra. W-we’ve been fighting a lot and n-now she’s mad because I d-didn’t invite her to the party t-today.” He shakes his head and rubs the back of his neck. “I just w-wanted to spend time with all of y-you and not worry about w-whether or not I would end up f-fighting with her again.” He turns towards the counter and away from Stan. His knuckles turn white as his hands clench into fists. “But n-now, we're f-fighting anyway. I j-just don’t know what to d-do.” His voice cracks slightly and Stan grabs his shoulder and turns him gently so they are facing each other again.

“Hey, it’s going to be okay. Sometimes people in relationships go through rough patches but you can’t let it get to you and you can’t let it ruin your day.” Stan places his hands on both of Bill’s shoulders and tries to meet his eyes. Bill looks at Stan and in the next second Bill’s arms are wrapped around Stan, his face pressed against his shoulder. Stan freezes for a second, not sure what to do. His heart is practically pounding out of his chest as slowly, he wraps his own arms around Bill and feels the tension leaving the taller man’s body. Stan closes his eyes and rubs his hand gently against Bill’s back, sinking into the comforting rhythm. They stay like that for a moment, Stan not wanting to be the one to break away first. Eventually, Bill straightens up and looks at Stan.

“I’m sorry, Stan. I just r-really needed that.” He looks down sheepishly but Stan shakes his head.

“Don’t apologize for needing comfort, Bill. Hey,” He lifts Bill’s face and looks him in the eye. “I am here for you whenever you need me, okay?” He waits until Bill nods. “Okay then. Now let’s finish getting these snacks together before the birthday girl gets here.” Stan grabs some bowls and hands them to Bill to start filling with chips. It’s quiet between them as they ready the rest of the snacks and Stan keeps replaying the hug they shared in his mind.

“You h-have a nice house, by the way.” Stan looks up in surprise at the unexpected compliment. Bill is looking around at the kitchen and turns to smile at him. Stan’s mouth drops open as he realizes he hasn’t shown Bill around yet. Setting the filled bowls on the table, Stan grins at Bill.

“Where are my manners? Come on, I’ll show you the rest of the house.” Bill chuckles and follows Stan into the hallway. “Over here is the living room, where you can find two poor souls being forced to blow up balloons for all eternity.” Mike and Richie look up from where they’re sitting and wave deflated balloons at Bill. Eddie appears in front of them.

“Bill! Did you get all the snacks?” Bill nods and gestures back to the kitchen. Without another word, Eddie goes into the kitchen and Bill shares an amused look with Stan.

“Anyway! On with the tour!” Stan guides Bill down the hall, pointing out the bathroom on the way to the bedrooms. He opens the door to the guest bedroom. “This is the spare room. I used to have a roommate but they moved out a while ago so now it’s kind of just a guest room.” With nothing more than a bed and a simple desk, there isn’t much to see so they move on. The last thing to show is his bedroom and Stan can feel the fluttering in his stomach increase. “And this is my room.” Stan opens the door and allows Bill to walk in. Stan watches closely as Bill walks around looking at the things in his room.

“You have a lot of b-books.” Bill trails his finger along the spines of some of the books on Stan’s shelf. Bill looks up and finds Stan staring at him. “Sorry. I shouldn’t be t-touching your s-stuff.” He rubs the back of his neck and joins Stan back at the door. “Thanks f-for showing me around, Stan.” He smiles softly and moves past Stan, into the hallway. Stan shuts the door gently and follows Bill back into the living room.

“Okay, Ben just texted me and said they’ll be here any second!” Eddie comes into the living room and puts the snacks out on the coffee table. He hands the black bracelet box to Stan. “I took a peek at it and it looks great.” He smiles widely and nods in encouragement when Stan goes to open it. The bracelet is laid out on what looks to be black velvet, the silver of the charms shining brightly on the dark fabric. Stan knows right away that Bev is going to love it. He closes the box and sets it with the other gifts.

The closing of car doors and the sound of footsteps on the front porch is all the warning they have before there’s a quick knock on the front door and Ben walks in with Bev on his arm.

“Happy Birthday, Bev!” The group in the living room yells, almost in unison. Bev laughs and claps her hands, eyes sparkling.

“Oh my gosh! Thank you, guys!” Eddie goes to her first to hug her, the other four following close behind. After giving a quick hug to both Bev and Ben, Stan takes the couples’ jackets and hangs them up as everyone settles into the living room. Stan walks into the room to find Bill waiting for him. He pats the seat next to him with a smile and Stan moves to take it. It’s kind of a tight fit and their sides are pressed together. Stan can smell the light, pleasant scent of Bill’s cologne and can feel the pinpoints of lightning from everywhere their bodies are touching.

“It’s so festive in here.” Ben’s voice cuts through Stan’s thoughts and he looks over to the couch. Ben is looking around at all the balloons and streamers. “How long did all of this take?” Eddie jumps in to describe in detail the entire planning process and Stan sits back to listen to the chatting of his friends. They all talk for a while, eating and drinking as they do so, and Stan is hyper-aware of every movement made by Bill. They're sitting so close that even the smallest of shifts sends a jolt through Stan. By the time Richie declares it time to open gifts, Stan can feel his body vibrating with electricity. He gets up to help Richie pile the presents in front of Bev but holds onto the bracelet box so he can give it to her last.

She goes through the pile and carefully unwraps each one, exclaiming in delight with every new thing she receives. Bev reaches the end of the pile, opening the vintage sign Bill had gotten her and looks around at all of them.

“Thank you all so much. I love everything.” She smiles at each of them but before she can say anything else, Stan holds the small black box out to her.

“Hold on, Bevvy. You have one more thing to open.” She looks at him, confusion on her face, and takes the box slowly. She traces the letters on the top of it and opens the latch, revealing the black velvet and the shining silver charm bracelet. She gasps and looks back up with eyes wide.

“Oh my god, Stan. This is beautiful! Where did you find this?” She touches the charms gently with her fingers and Stan thinks he can see tears in her eyes.

“We all pitched in and had it custom made for you.” Stan gestures around at the other boys before continuing. “We each chose a different charm so you can have us all with you even when we aren’t all together.” Bev gets up and hugs Stan tightly. She looks around at them, tears threatening to overflow.

“I can’t ever thank you guys enough. It’s literally perfect.” She sits back down and looks at the bracelet again. Ben tucks a lock of hair behind her ear and smiles fondly at her.

“Do you want to put it on?” When she nods he helps her fasten it onto her wrist. She twists her wrist around to look at each of the silver charms and she thanks them all again. Eddie stands and claps his hands together to get their attention.

“Okay then! Now that we have gifts all done, how about we have cake?” There is a chorus of agreement from everyone and they all stand to follow him into the kitchen. Before they can, however, Ben stops them.

“Actually,” He says with a soft smile on his face, “There is one more thing I want to say.” He moves to stand in front of Bev, who smiles and raises her eyebrows at him. He grabs her hand gently. “Beverly Marsh, I love you with every fiber of my being. I have loved you from the first moment I saw you and I will continue to love you until the last.” He drops down to one knee and Bev gasps. “And in front of all our friends, our chosen family, I want to ask you,” He grabs a small box from his pocket and opens it, revealing a beautiful and unique ring. “will you do me the honor of being my wife?” Without any hesitation, Bev nods her head.

“Of course I will!” The tears are falling freely from her eyes and her smile is wide. “I love you, Ben.” He jumps up and wraps her in his arms, spinning them both in a circle. He sets her down and kisses her quickly before taking the ring and sliding it onto her finger. She kisses him again and turns to their friends. They all move towards them and envelop them both in a group hug filled with tears and smiles. Stan could not be more happy for his friends.

As their group hug breaks apart and they begin to file into the kitchen for birthday cake and celebratory drinks, Stan wipes the tears from his eyes and looks over at Bill. He is surprised to find Bill already looking at him and he notes an odd look on Bill’s face. He smiles and raises his eyebrows questioningly. Bill blinks at Stan a couple of times but returns the smile. He closes the space between them and throws an arm over Stan’s shoulders.

“Come on, Stan! W-we don’t want to miss out on c-cake!” Stan rolls his eyes and laughs as Bill guides them both into the kitchen to join their friends.


	17. Is There Somewhere

The muffled pattering of rain fills the quiet shop. The soft sound is soothing as Stan goes about his work. He can hear Eddie typing on the keyboard in the backroom and he smiles. He places a couple of arrangements into the cooler and walks over to the front window. Looking out at the dark clouds and the rain-soaked pavement brings a sense of peace to Stan and he sighs contently. As he watches the steady downpour, a familiar car pulls up in front of the shop. Stan’s smile widens and he goes to open the door for the tall redhead hurrying to get out of the rain.

“Th-thanks, Stan.” Bill smiles widely at him and removes his, now soaked, jacket. After hanging the jacket on the coat rack by the door, Bill turns back to Stan. “Quite the s-storm huh?” Stan nods in agreement and jerks his head in the direction of the back room.

“Come on, Eddie’s back there.” Eddie had told him first thing this morning that Bill was going to be stopping by today. Apparently he wanted to talk to Eddie about something and Stan would be lying if he said he wasn’t interested in what was going on. They walk into the back room and Eddie looks up at them.

“Oh, Bill! I was wondering when you were going to show up!” He gets up from the computer desk and moves to sit at the break table, Stan and Bill joining him. “So,” Eddie begins, looking across to Bill, “What can I do for you today?” Bill rubs the back of his neck and Stan thinks he sees his eyes dart sideways in his direction.

“Well, d-do you remember what y-you said to me after Bev and Ben g-got engaged?” He looks up at Eddie who has his brows furrowed and his head cocked slightly to the side as if he’s trying to remember. Bill clears his throat nervously and looks down at the table. “You know, about l-letting you know if I d-decided I wanted to l-live somewhere else?” Eddie’s eyes widen in recognition and he nods.

“Yes! Of course, I remember!” He pauses briefly before continuing. “So, are you wanting to move out of Bev’s place then?”

“I j-just want to give the t-two of them the chance to live alone together as a c-couple before they get married.” Bill’s hand creeps back up to rub his neck, “I know it’s a l-lot to ask but if I c-could stay with you and R-richie for a little while, j-just until I find my own place, I would g-greatly appreciate it.” He looks nervous as Eddie considers the request. Stan furrows his brow, thinking about the situation laid out in front of him. He fidgets as a crazy thought enters his brain.

“I would have to talk to Richie, of course, and you would probably have to sleep on the couch,” Eddie chews his lip as he thinks, “But I am definitely not going to leave you hanging.” Bill relaxes but before he can say anything in response, Stan’s mouth opens and words spill out.

“Why don’t you just stay with me?” Stan’s heart stops as the words leave his mouth. Eddie is looking at him with his mouth open in surprise and Bill is staring at him, eyes wide. Stan looks between the two of them, clearing his throat self-consciously before continuing. “I mean, I have a whole extra room with a bed and everything.” He looks into Bill’s wide eyes. “That way you won’t have to sleep on a couch and you can have a bit more privacy.” He gets up from the table to grab his water bottle from the counter, trying to put some space between himself and the staring eyes. “It’s totally up to you though.” The sound of movement behind him makes Stan turn around. Bill grabs him and pulls him into a tight hug and Stan instantly relaxes into it. He barely has a chance to bring his arms up to return the hug when Bill pulls away, a huge smile on his face.

“Thank you, Stan. I can’t even b-begin to express how g-grateful I am.” With Bill’s hands on his arms and not much space between them, Stan is forced to look up slightly to make eye contact. Heat climbs up into his face and Stan looks away, catching Eddie staring at the two of them with a grin on his face.

“Well then, it’s settled! When should we move you into Stan’s place?” Eddie joins them at the counter and Bill drops his hands from Stan’s arms. The warmth from those hands begins to fade and Stan has to bite back a groan of disappointment. There’s something almost intoxicating about the heat that Bill’s touch causes and Stan misses the feeling as soon as it’s gone.

“I was hoping maybe t-tomorrow if that’s o-okay with Stan?” Bill looks at him hopefully and Stan is quick to give his confirmation, nodding with a smile. Bill smiles back and looks down at his watch. “Great! I'll c-call you later?” It’s phrased like a question so Stan nods again. “I have to g-get back to class n-now so I’ll see you guys later.” He gives Stan another quick hug and calls out a goodbye as he leaves. Stan waits until he hears the front door open and close before he covers his face with his hands.

“What did I just do?” He groans into his palms. He feels a hand on his shoulder and peeks through his fingers at Eddie.

“You just offered your spare room to the guy you are head over heels in love with.” Stan groans again and Eddie laughs. “Don’t worry about it, Stanny. It’s going to be fine and also,” Eddie pulls Stan’s hands away from his face, “It’s really great that you’re willing to do this, especially with the way you feel about him.” Stan glares at his friend who throws his hands up in surrender. “I’m just saying!” Stan rolls his eyes and walks away.

Returning to the display room, Stan busies with cleaning the shop and tries not to think about how in only a day he will be living on the other side of a wall from Bill. For once, cleaning is not helping to distract Stan from his thoughts and he once again finds himself staring out the window. This time, however, he isn’t really seeing the rain pouring down. Instead, he is seeing all the imaginary outcomes that could be in his future and his heart is pounding at the mere thought of what could come from this.


	18. This Small Moment

Stan is pacing across his living room, looking out the front window each time he passes. The street is just as empty as it has been the last twenty times he’s checked. Stan looks down at his watch and continues pacing. Eddie had said it would only take them half an hour to pack up Bill’s things but it’s been almost twice as long and Stan is getting anxious. The sound of tires on the road has Stan hurrying back to the window and he sighs loudly as a school bus drives down the street. He’s regretting his decision to stay at the house with each passing moment. Bill had asked him to go with them to help but Stan had insisted on staying here to get the spare room ready.

He pulls his phone out and his finger hovers over Bill’s name. Before Stan can make up his mind about calling, a car pulls up in front of his house. Stan is out of the living room in a flash and pulls the front door open as he shoves his phone back into his pocket. He smiles and waves to his friends and new housemate and makes his way to the car.

“Sorry for the delay, Stan!” Eddie’s voice comes from the other side of the car. “We had to make a stop on our way here.” He leaves it at that and starts removing Bill’s belongings from the trunk. Richie hops out of the front seat, closing the door behind him as he closes the gap between him and Stan. He bends in to say something to Stan, pitching his voice low so the other two can’t hear.

“Yeah, we had to stop because lover boy over there wanted to get you something.” He straightens up with a smirk and a quick wink in Stan’s direction. Stan can feel the question mark on his own face but Richie doesn’t say anything else, instead, he turns to help Eddie. Stan is intrigued by the thought of Bill wanting to get him something and he steps up to the back door of the car where he can see Bill is still sitting. He appears to be on the phone but the small frown on his face is enough for Stan to know not to disturb him. He’s about to join Eddie and Richie by the trunk when the car door creaks open. Stan is quick to grab the door and hold it open for Bill. A warm smile replaces the frown and their eyes meet.

“Th-thanks, Stan.” Bill gets out of the car and steps up next to Stan on the curb. Stan nods his head at the phone in Bill’s hand.

“Is everything okay? You didn’t look very happy with that call.” Bill glances down at his phone, shoving it into his front pocket. He blows out a puff of air and rakes his fingers through his fine red hair. Stan is mentally kicking himself for saying anything. It’s clear by the way Bill is avoiding his eyes that he doesn’t want to talk about the call. Surprisingly though, Bill does talk about it.

“It was Audra. Sh-she isn’t happy about me moving in h-here.” Bill shakes his head when Stan opens his mouth. “No, don’t worry a-about anything. You are a l-lifesaver for offering y-your h-home to me. Audra is just upset because she w-wasn’t able t-to help the way y-you are. She lives in the d-dorms and I o-obviously can’t l-live there with her.” He shrugs and rubs the back of his neck. Stan furrows his brows and wonders why Bill might be nervous. “But hey, it’s probably too soon for her and I to live together anyway right?” He isn’t looking at Stan and Stan isn’t sure if he’s actually looking for an answer so he just hums softly and waits for Bill to continue. “But enough of that. I h-have something for y-you” The smile is back on Bill’s face and he turns back to the car, reaching into the backseat, and pulls out a small potted cactus. Stan doesn’t even try to hide his surprise. Besides the different color of the pot and the smaller size, it is almost an exact replica of a cactus plant that he had when he was younger. Stan takes the light blue pot from Bill and examines his new prickly green friend.

“Where did you find this?” Stan asks, his voice soft. He looks up to find Bill watching him.

“We were passing a s-store with a bunch of houseplants and c-cacti out f-front. My mom used to t-tell me that it’s a-always a good idea to g-give a small plant as a h-housewarming gift.” He glances away briefly, looking bashful, before returning his eyes to Stan’s. “I know it m-might be a l-little weird for me to give y-you a housewarming gift when I’m the one m-moving in but just think of it as a th-thank you gift instead.” Stan can’t find the words he wants to say so he stands silently, taking in this moment and filing it away into his mind to remember forever. Bill shuffles his feet nervously but doesn’t look away from Stan looking at him.

“You two learning to read minds over there?” Richie’s loud voice cuts through the tender moment and Stan jumps, looking over to his friend in surprise. Richie raises his eyebrows at the two stood by the car. “We got everything out of the car and put it in the living room,” He gestures behind him to the open door and directs the next part to Bill, “Figured you would want to put everything away yourself.” Bill nods and moves to follow Richie into the house. Stan reaches out his free hand and touches Bill’s arm. Bill stops and turns back to Stan.

“Thank you, Bill. You have no idea what this means to me.” His hand lingers for a moment on Bill’s arm before he pulls away. Stan looks away from Bill’s soft eyes and hurries up the front steps and into the house. He wants to find a good spot for his new cactus and heads for the large living room window. The low bookshelf in front of the window is the perfect place and he moves a couple of things to make room for the blue pot. Stan is smiling softly down at the little cactus and doesn’t notice Eddie standing next to him.

“I’m glad you like Bill’s gift.” Stan looks at his best friend and then back to the plant. Eddie chuckles and puts a hand on Stan’s shoulder. “Come on, Stanny. We were thinking we could all go get a bite to eat.” Stan nods and turns away from his gift. He looks around the room, expecting to see Richie and Bill waiting but finds only Bill’s things piled in boxes. “They’re waiting outside.” Eddie answers the unspoken question and gestures for Stan to follow him.

Stan locks the door as they head out to join the other two waiting by the car. The smile on his face feels like a permanent addition to his life and Stan couldn’t be happier with his decision to invite Bill to live with him. The hope in his heart is burning brighter than ever before and as rational as Stan usually is, he can’t deny that things definitely seem to be going well for him and Bill.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! It's been a while! Times are weird right now and it's been hard to find the motivation to write but I have no plans to give up on this fic. Bear with me! I will continue to update this when I can and I hope you are all still enjoying it! Stay safe everyone!


	19. One Minute More

Stan wasn’t sure what to expect from living with Bill, especially with his feelings for the redhead, but it feels oddly natural to share a home with him. The first few days were a bit strange and awkward as the two of them adjusted to their new situation. Now, just over a week later, Stan is standing at the kitchen counter drinking a cup of coffee when a door down the hall opens. Stan hears Bill shuffle the few steps to the hall bathroom and shut the door. Setting his mug down, Stan grabs a clean mug from the cupboard and prepares some coffee for Bill. It only took a few days for Stan to memorize how his housemate likes his coffee; a little bit of milk and one spoonful of sugar. He’s stirring in the sugar when a sleep-tousled Bill walks into the kitchen with a yawn. Stan can’t help but smile at the bare feet and messy hair in front of him. Bill responds with a sleepy smile of his own before yawning again.

“Good morning sleepyhead.” Stan puts the spoon he was using in the sink and sets the cup of coffee on the table in front of Bill. “How did you sleep last night?” He turns away before Bill can answer. In truth, Stan knows that Bill didn’t get to sleep for quite a while. Their bedrooms share a wall so it isn’t difficult to hear the angry voice on the other side. Stan doesn’t want to bring up the fighting between Bill and Audra until Bill is ready to talk about it, if he ever is. Bill lets out a soft sigh as Stan returns to the table with his own half-finished coffee.

“I slept f-fine, thanks.” Bill smiles across the table but it doesn’t quite reach his eyes. Stan sits quietly, waiting to see if Bill will continue. He sips his coffee until finally, Bill sighs again, rubbing his hand over the back of his neck. “Okay, okay. I’m s-sure you’re aware that m-me and Audra have been arguing quite a b-bit lately.” Stan’s eyes drop to the table and Bill huffs out a soft laugh. “Yeah, that’s what I th-thought.” He rubs at his eyes with one hand, “I h-hate that you had to l-listen to all that.” Stan looks back up and goes to reach his hand across the table. He stops himself, wrapping both hands around his mug instead. Bill drops his hand from his face and looks at Stan again. “Stan, c-can I ask you s-something that might seem a b-bit odd?”

“Of course you can, Bill” Stan answers without hesitation, all of his focus on the man sat across from him. Bill eyes him for a second and Stan fidgets with his mug.

“D-do you,” Bill pauses to take a drink, “Do you b-believe that th-there’s only one person out there f-for everyone?” He keeps his eyes down, staring into his coffee. The question takes Stan by surprise and he sits in stunned silence. It’s obvious that the answer to this question means something to Bill and Stan feels he owes it to him to respond in a heartfelt way. He hopes he can help Bill get some insight into the issues he’s clearly struggling with. He takes a moment to ponder the question, using the time to finish off his coffee and rinse out the mug. Stan returns to his seat at the table and folds his hands in front of him.

“Do I think there is one person meant for everyone,” Stan repeats the question softly and Bill nods. “Personally, I believe that everything happens for a reason and that includes the people we meet in our lives. Every single person we meet crosses our path for a reason. Even if it’s just for one brief meeting and we never see them again.” Bill has abandoned his coffee and is staring intently at Stan, taking in every word. “Sometimes people in our lives are simply there to open a door or teach some kind of lesson, either big or small. It’s all significant and connected. Take, for example, Eddie met Richie who in turn introduced us to Bev. Had we never met Bev, I-” Stan stops and clears his throat, “I mean we, might not have met you.” Stan stares down at his hands, not wanting Bill to see how much that thought tears at him.

“I’m really g-glad that things w-worked out the way they d-did.” Bill’s voice is soft and Stan meets his eyes. He can’t work out the emotion in those two blue pools.

“I’m glad too.” Stan gives Bill a small smile and the energy shifts between them. Stan looks away, cheeks slightly warm. “Uh, anyway, back to your actual question. No, I don’t necessarily think that there is only one person out there for everyone. I think it’s much more likely that we all have multiple people that are meant for us, just meant for different times in our lives.” He risks a small glance at Bill and finds him staring down into his mug.

“W-what do you d-do if you feel like s-someone isn’t meant to be in y-your life anymore?” Bill’s question is quiet, almost like he’s talking to himself. Stan isn’t sure if he’s actually asking him until he looks up and his pained blue eyes meet Stan’s hazel ones. Stan sucks in a breath and this time he does reach his hand across the table and sets it on top of Bill’s. Bill closes his eyes and lets out a shaky breath at the soft touch.

“If you’re feeling that way but aren’t sure then I would suggest reflecting inward and try to figure out how and why you might feel like that.” Stan squeezes Bill’s hand gently. “And if you are sure, the best thing to do is to talk to the person in question. Just be prepared for things to not be easy.” Bill opens his eyes slowly, looking first at their hands on the table and bringing his gaze up to Stan’s face. After a moment of eye contact, Bill nods his head and Stan pulls his hand away.

“You’re right, Stan. I’ll h-have to talk to this p-person.” Bill stands suddenly and takes his mug to the sink. Bill heads to the hallway, stopping to pat Stan’s shoulder on the way out. “Th-thanks for your wisdom. And the coffee.” With one last smile, Bill is off down the hallway to his room. Stan sits at the table staring at his hands. He hopes that Bill can find some happiness from his current situation and no matter what may come to be, Stan will be here to help whenever Bill might need it.


	20. Put Your Head On My Shoulder

The bird hops gently along the rim of the stone bath, stopping briefly to preen at its feathers. It was as big as a house through the lenses and when it chirped out a few notes, the sound is small and weak in comparison. The brown head dips towards the water, droplets shimmering as the sparrow flicks the water over its shoulder onto it’s back. Stan sits patient and quiet during the bird's performance, binoculars held to his eyes. Soft, dappled shadows move lazily across Stan’s view as a gentle breeze sways the leaves above him. He lowers the binoculars and breathes in the crisp October air. Stan closes his eyes, allowing the breeze to caress his face for a moment.

A ping from his phone startles Stan and his eyes fly open. He grabs the phone from the open pocket of his bag, unlocking it to see a picture message from Bill. The picture is clearly taken from the front porch of their house and shows two small robins sitting together on the porch railing. There’s a message attached to the picture, _Look at these lovebirds:) _it reads, making Stan smile. A second message comes in and wipes the smile of Stan’s face. _Audra says hi_. Three simple words and each one is like a tiny razor blade in his heart. He sets the phone aside without responding and slumps back against the bench. After their talk last week, Stan had foolishly expected Bill to break things off with Audra but now here he is. Avoiding his own home in order to avoid seeing the couple together. He knows that Bill is still trying to work through his feelings but Stan can’t deny that it hurts more and more to see the two of them.

Stan sighs and picks up his beloved bird book. He distracts himself by looking through it and making a new journal entry about the bathing sparrow he had observed. He puts Bill and Audra out of his head, focusing instead on combing through his book and watching for new arrivals at the stone bath. The afternoon stretches on and Stan finally decides to call it quits. He carefully packs up his bird watching things and stands up. After a quick stretch Stan starts off towards his house, mentally preparing himself to see Audra there. The walk is short and all too soon, Stan is turning onto his street. The familiar view of the houses he grew up next to doing nothing to calm the anxious twist in his gut. His steps get slower as he gets closer to home as if the anxiety of seeing Bill with Audra is quicksand beneath his feet.

He comes to a full stop as the house comes into view and a small sliver of hope jumps in his chest. The only cars in front are his and Bill’s. He continues walking knowing there’s a chance that Bill picked Audra up and brought her over. He steels himself as he walks up the porch stairs. Opening the door he finds the house quiet and seemingly empty. He removes his jacket and shoes before heading into the living room to put his bag down. It’s possible that Bill left with Audra but after the weeks of living together, Bill had made sure to leave a note for Stan to let him know if he was leaving. _He could have forgotten to leave one _a small voice in his head whispers at him. The thought sends a sharp pang through Stan and he shoves the feeling down. It’s not like Bill is obligated to let him know when he’s coming or going.

Stan shakes his head and heads down the hall towards the bedrooms. Stan can see Bill’s door is cracked open and he slows his steps. Bill usually closes his door when he leaves or keeps it open when he’s home. Stan hesitates for a moment before taking the last few steps to the room. Through the crack he can see Bill lying on the bed, his back to the door. It looks like he’s asleep so Stan backs slowly away, careful not to make any noise. He goes to his own room and sits heavily on the edge of the bed. He tries to ignore how happy he is that Bill is home and by himself but a small smile creeps onto his face anyway. Shaking his head, Stan gets up and grabs a book off his shelf. He takes the book out to the living room to read until Bill gets up. Turning on some soft instrumental music, Stan settles into his chair and pulls his feet up to tuck under himself.

It’s nearing six pm and the sun is beginning to set before Stan’s attention is pulled from his book to the sound of movement down the hall. A weary and slightly rumpled Bill shuffles into the living room. He raises his hand in a half-wave to Stan and slumps onto the couch. Stan closes his book and sets it aside.

“Hey, Bill.” Stan greets semi-cautiously. “Are you feeling alright?” Bill glances in Stan’s direction, not quite meeting his eyes. He looks tired, drained and Stan is instantly worried for the redhead. Bill lets out a shuddering breath before leaning forward, face in his hands. In a split second, Stan is crossing to the couch and sitting next to the other man. “Bill?! Are you okay?” Stan puts his hand on Bill’s shoulder, willing him to look at him. When he does, Stan is startled at the pain in Bill’s eyes. Before he can ask again what’s wrong, Bill takes a deep breath.

“Audra and I b-broke up.” Stan knows that in any other scenario he would be happy at the news but right now, with Bill so obviously hurting, the only feeling Stan has is concern. Stan’s hand moves down slightly so it’s resting on Bill’s back where he can feel Bill’s warmth through his thin t-shirt. The touch seems to be helping calm Bill and he continues. “I t-told her I wanted to tuh-talk about how I’ve b-been feeling lately and sh-she got s-super defensive. She s-started yelling a-about how she knew suh-something was wrong and th-that I wasn’t man enough t-to j-j-just come out and say it. Then she said,” He stops and looks up at Stan. Their eyes stay connected for a moment and Stan shifts a bit in his seat.

“What, Bill? What did she say?” He tries to prod Bill into continuing. Bill blinks a couple of times and looks away, rubbing his neck with his hand. Stan is confused by the gesture but doesn’t dwell on the thought.

“She, uh, she s-said that it w-was time for us t-to end things and that she thuh-thinks I need to g-grow up.” Bill shakes his head and looks down at his feet. Stan has a nagging feeling that Bill left something out of his recount of the events. Bill’s voice is quiet when he speaks next and Stan leans toward him to hear better. “Maybe she’s r-right, Stan. Maybe I should have manned up and t-told her how I w-was feeling earlier.” Stan hates how broken Bill sounds and scoots a bit closer so he can put his arm around the others' shoulders. Bill looks back up to Stan, their faces closer now. “May-maybe I don’t d-deserve to be in a r-relationship.” Stan sees the blue eyes filling slowly with tears. “I’m obviously not very g-good at them.” Bill lets out a harsh, shaky laugh and then he’s crying. Stan doesn’t know what else to do so he pulls Bill’s head onto his shoulder and allows the other man to cry against him. In an attempt to soothe him, Stan holds Bill tightly and strokes his fine, red hair.

They sit that way for a while and the living room, lit only by Stan’s small reading lamp, grows dimmer as the sun sets outside. Stan continues stroking Bill’s hair and notices the redhead slowly calming down with each touch. Eventually, the crying subsides but the two of them stay where they are. Stan doesn’t want to move from this spot. He closes his eyes and enjoys the feeling of Bill’s head on his shoulder, his soft hair on his fingertips. This moment is warm and comforting and Stan would give anything to be frozen here forever.


	21. Walk With Me

Bright rays of sunlight shine into the wide front window of the living room, illuminating the cozy interior. The house is quiet except for the muffled clicking of a keyboard drifting down the hall from Bill’s closed bedroom and the soft rustle of Stan turning the pages of his book. Stan pauses reading and looks out into the front yard. The ground is littered with a kaleidoscope of fall leaves, the colors vibrant and beautiful. Stan’s mouth quirks up at the corners as he admires the view. The sound of typing comes to a stop and Stan turns instinctively in the direction of the bedrooms. It’s quiet for only a moment before the clicking resumes. With a small shake of his head, Stan returns to the book in his hands, a smile still on his face.

Stan attempts to continue reading but his focus is repeatedly drawn to the window and the beautiful autumn day. With a sigh, he gives in and places his book carefully on the table in front of him. Stan gets up and stretches before crossing to the window. The sky is clear and bright, a slight breeze sways through the tops of the trees. As Stan watches, a couple of finches strut across the leaf-strewn grass. The small heads of the birds blending with the reds of the leaves. The sound from down the hall comes to a stop again and Stan waits, expecting it to start back up. When it stays quiet, Stan turns away from the window and decides in that moment to go down to the park.

Stan moves down the hallway, slowing minutely as he nears Bill’s door. The typing has stopped but there is enough movement for Stan to determine his housemate is still awake. In his own room, Stan gathers together his usual gear for bird watching with the addition of a rain slicker which he rolls up to fit it into his bag. He grabs a light sweater and pulls it over his head before gathering his bag and leaving the room. He hesitates only slightly before knocking quietly on Bill’s door. It only takes a second before the door is pulled open. Bill is still in his pajamas, his hair slightly messy and an expectant smile pulling up one side of his mouth. Stan sucks in a quiet breath at the surge of emotion brought forth by the man in front of him. He has to look down and clear his throat in order to get his thoughts in check.

“Hey, Bill. I hope I’m not interrupting you,” He sees Bill shake his head as Stan looks back up to meet Bill’s eyes. “I just wanted to let you know that I was going to head over to the park.” Glancing down at his watch, Stan doesn’t see the look that crosses Bill’s face.

“Oh,” Bill says, rubbing the back of his neck. “S-sure. Right. Uhh, th-thanks for letting m-me know.” His voice is quiet and his smile seems a bit more forced. Stan’s brow creases and he struggles to find a reason for Bill sounding almost disappointed.

“Of course. Well, I guess I’ll see you later then?” Stan starts to turn away, heading for the front door when a light touch on his arm stops him. He turns back to look first at the warm hand on his arm then to Bill’s face. He looks nervous and he bites his lip before meeting Stan’s questioning eyes. “Bill? Is everything okay?” Stan’s heart speeds up while he watches Bill struggle to find the words.

“I d-don’t w-want to intrude at all, b-but I w-was wondering if m-maybe I could join y-you? If you would r-r-rather go al-lone I understand.” Bill looks away from him and Stan finally realizes why Bill had seemed disappointed. He can’t control the smile that slowly stretches across his face.

“Of course you can join me, Bill.” Stan replies warmly. “You are always welcome to come with me.” The smile that lights Bill’s face is instant and dazzling. Stan feels the need to look away from that smile in fear of going blind from the way it shines like the sun.

“Really? G-great! Let m-me just get dressed r-real quick.” Bill hurries back into his room. “Give me a c-couple minutes!” Stan chuckles and pulls the door shut to give Bill some privacy and heads into the living room to wait. It takes Bill less than three minutes to be dressed and hurrying out to the living room to grab his jacket and shoes. Stan raises his eyebrows, a silent question, and Bill nods. They walk out onto the porch, Bill stopping on the front steps to pull his jacket on while Stan locks the front door.

The two of them start off towards the park side by side, shoulders brushing every now and then. It’s quiet for a few minutes and Stan marvels at how comfortable the silence is between them. Everything feels so natural when he’s with Bill and he can’t help but smile softly to himself as they walk. Stan loses himself in his thoughts, his feet on autopilot as they walk the familiar streets to the park.

“Hey, Stan?” Bill’s quiet voice pulls Stan out of his thoughts and he looks over to the redhead. Bill has his head tilted down, eyes watching the ground as they walk. “I w-wanted to apologize.” Stan’s forehead scrunches in confusion and his steps slow. Bill continues for a few paces before realizing that Stan is no longer next to him. He stops and turns back to Stan who has also come to a stop a couple of feet back. Bill notes the confused look on Stan’s face and clears his throat to explain. “I h-have been kuh-kind of shut away s-since the stuff with Audra and I’m s-sorry about that.” He watches Stan’s face intently and Stan is suddenly aware that Bill is feeling guilty. The realization causes Stan to feel the simultaneous need to laugh and also pull the taller man into his arms. Resisting the urge to wrap his arms around Bill, Stan allows himself to smile and shake his head.

“There is nothing for you to apologize for, Bill.” Stan shortens the distance between them. “I don’t want you to feel the need to rush yourself while you deal with your feelings. Take things at your own pace and just know that I’m here for you, okay?” Stan shrugs, trying to pass off as nonchalant. As he moves to continue on their way to the park, Bill stops him with a hand on his back. Stan fights off the shiver trying to climb up his spine.

“Stan…” Bill’s voice is still quiet but there’s a roughness to it that has Stan’s heart speeding up. “Thank you.” He drops his hand from Stan’s back but keeps his eyes locked onto Stan’s hazel ones. “Thank you f-for everything you ha-have done for me these l-last few w-weeks. You have b-been so kind and I c-couldn’t ask for a b-better person to l-live with.” His smile is lopsided but genuine and his eyes are bright, almost shiny. If Stan didn’t know better he would think that there were the beginnings of tears in Bill’s eyes. They stand there for a moment longer, the sound of a car honking down the street causing them both to jump slightly. Bill grins bashfully and rubs the back of his neck.

“Well, I g-guess we should p-p-probably keep going if w-we don’t want to r-run out of s-sunlight.” Stan nods in agreement, noting in surprise the pink flush in Bill’s cheeks. They start walking again and Stan is hyper-aware every time their arms brush together. By the time they reach the park, Stan’s skin is dancing with electricity under the fabric of his sweater. They take their time walking through the park, casually enjoying the sun filtering down through the thinning treetops and the crunching of leaves under their shoes. They reach the other side of the park where the birdbath sits and Stan settles into his usual place on his favorite bench. Bill sits next to Stan, not quite touching but close enough for Stan to feel warm from the close proximity. Stan forces himself to focus instead on getting out his book and binoculars. He sets aside his bag and opens the book to the last log page to write the days date on the next open line. Out of the corner of his eye, he can see Bill pulling a small spiral-bound notebook from his jacket pocket.

“What’s that for?” He asks curiously, distracted momentarily from his normal routine. Bill smiles shyly, looking at Stan for a moment before passing the notebook to him. Stan takes it and opens to the first page, revealing it to be not a lined notebook but a pocket-sized sketchbook. Stan stares down at the sketches on the page, his mouth open in awe. He looks up from the page to find Bill watching him with a nervous half-smile. Without saying a word, Bill reaches over and turns a few pages. The page he stops on sucks the air out of Stan’s lungs. The faces on the paper are those of his favorite people. Richie and Eddie, Bev and Ben, even Mike’s face makes an appearance. Stan feels a surge of emotion at the beautifully drawn portraits of all his friends.

“Bill… these are so beautiful.” Stan can hear the pure admiration in his voice but doesn’t try to hide it. This kind of talent should be admired. Bill simply smiles and turns the book to flip through the pages again.

“Thanks, b-but this one is m-my favorite.” He finds the right page and turns it back to show Stan. Instead of portraits, this page is a full scene. A scene that is familiar to Stan because it features his own front porch. The main focus of the drawing is of Stan himself and he can remember the day that this must have been drawn. It shows him up on his tiptoes, refilling the bird feeder that hangs over the porch railing. It’s a simple memory; not bearing any kind of importance to Stan but the drawing seems to have more emotion in it. Though Stan can’t work out why this would be Bill’s favorite, he can’t deny that it is a masterful rendering of a simplistic subject.

“Wow, Bill. I don’t even know what to say…” Stan is lost for words. “These are all so incredible. You are truly talented.” He smiles at Bill who returns the smile a bit tentatively.

“Th-thanks, Stan. I’m glad you l-like them.” Stan hands the small sketchbook back to Bill, their fingers brushing ever so softly. He turns back to the birdbath, hoping Bill won’t notice the slight shaking of his hands as he raises the binoculars to his eyes. Slowly, Stan began to relax into the familiar activity of waiting and watching. After a few moments, the soft sound of pencil scratching on paper started up and it becomes soothing background noise as Stan watches the playful birds.

They sit together like this, Stan observing and occasionally making notes about what he sees, and Bill quietly sketching. Stan pauses to make another note, listening to the sound of Bill’s practiced pencil strokes and wonders briefly what he is drawing. Before he can get up enough nerve to ask to see, a new sound comes from near the bath. Stan lifts the binoculars back to his eyes and calmly scans the area for the source of the sound. It doesn’t take long for his gaze to land on the small but brightly colored bird. Stan gasps quietly and he hears the pencil stop.

“F-find something good?” Bill asks in a whisper. Stan notes where the bird is sitting and passes the binoculars to Bill.

“Over there, on the lower branches of that tree off to the left.” Stan explains as he grabs his book, flipping expertly through the pages until he lands on the one depicting the Cape May warbler. It’s an almost perfect match to the one Bill was looking at.

“Wow, he’s a b-bright little guy, isn’t h-he?” Bill remarks with a smile, handing the binoculars back to Stan who is excitedly making a note in his log. Looking back at the little warbler, Stan begins telling Bill facts about the species. Bill listens with an affectionate grin.

“I’ve actually never seen one in person before! This is so exciting!” Stan’s face is stretched into an excited smile. “Gosh, he sure is beautiful isn’t he?” Stan asks, binoculars still at his eyes so he doesn’t notice the thoughtful look that comes across Bill’s face.

“Y-yeah,” Bill responds, still looking at Stan’s face. “He is b-beautiful.” Bill looks away, looks down at the sketch he had been working on. Pencil didn’t quite capture Stan’s beauty but it was a decent sketch anyway. Bill closes the book just as Stan is lowering the binoculars.

“Dang… he flew away.” Stan makes another note in his log about how long the warbler had been in the area then closed the book. He looked over at Bill in time to see him putting the sketchbook back into the inside pocket of his jacket. “Does this mean I don’t get to see what you were working on?” His tone is light and playful but Bill’s face reddens a bit and Stan is quick to apologize. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to pry. You don’t have to show me anything you don’t want to.” Bill waves off the apology.

“N-no it’s fine. I was just d-doodling. N-nothing really to sh-show.” His face is carefully neutral and Stan hopes he didn’t offend him too much. They decide to head home after that. As Stan gathers his stuff together, he notices the odd energy between them and wonders what he might have missed. The walk back to their house is filled with the two of them making conversation, but Stan can’t help but feel there’s something different between them that he can’t quite put his finger on.


	22. Anything For You

The knock on the door causes both Stan and Bill to jump. Stan glances swiftly at his watch, surprised at how fast the afternoon had gotten away from him.

“Oh, that must be Bev. I didn’t realize what time it was.” Stan explains, reaching for the remote to pause the movie on the TV. From the corner of his eye, he notices Bill shift his body slightly further away from where they had been sitting. Where before there had been only six inches between them, now there was nearly a foot of space. Stan frowns slightly in confusion but brushes it off as he calls to Bev, welcoming her in. They hear the door open and close just before Bev comes sweeping into view pulling a smiling Mike behind her.

“Hey, Mike. Bev.” Stan greets them both with a smile. “What are you two up to today? Taking some pictures?” He nods his head towards the camera bag slung over Mike’s shoulder. Mike smiles widely and slides the bag off to set it carefully on the coffee table.

“Yep! Bev got some new outfits and insisted on a photo shoot.” He laughs lightly and settles into the armchair. Bev plops herself down in the space between Stan and Bill, throwing her arms around their shoulders and pulling them towards her. She sticks her tongue out at Mike who laughs heartily.

“He’s leaving out the part where he _offered _to be my personal photographer.” Bev rolls her eyes with a grin and turns her attention to the two boys on the couch. “What have you guys been doing?” Bill smiles at his cousin and scoots over a bit more so the three of them aren’t so squished.

“W-we were watching Empire Records. Apparently Stan o-over here has n-never seen it b-before.” He shakes his head in mock disappointment before meeting Stan’s eyes from across the couch. Bev fights a smile as she plays along with the charade.

“For shame, Stanny. What a relief it must be for you to have Bill here to educate you.” She sends a sly wink in Stan’s direction. His heart picks up the pace and he attempts to play it off.

“Bill is definitely a lifesaver.” Stan cranes his neck to smile at Bill from behind Bev’s head. Bill gives him a lopsided grin and Stan is quick to look away when he feels his face getting warm. Bev comes to his rescue, standing up and turning to face them.

“Alright,” She claps her hands together once, “back to business. I have come here today to invite the two of you to a party next weekend.” She smiles deviously at them. “And by invite, I do mean that it’s mandatory.” She directs the last bit to Stan who is already shaking his head with a small frown. Just as he opens his mouth to object, Bev lunges forward to cover his mouth with her hand. She looks into his eyes, her face serious. “Don’t panic, Stan. It’s just going to be our usual group so there is no reason for you to be worried.” She removes her hand and takes a step back. “Mike and I were just talking about it today and we thought it would be fun for the seven of us to get together and have a fun night.” Stan watches as her face pulls into a pout and he sighs. There’s no way he would ever say no to Bev when it obviously means a lot to her.

“Fine, fine. As long as it’s just our group I guess there’s nothing wrong with a party.” Bev pulls him to his feet so she can throw her arms around him.

“Thank you, thank you, Stan! Oh, it’s going to be so much fun!” Stan laughs and hugs her back tightly before unwrapping her arms from his neck.

“Anything for you doll, but you already know that.” She grins widely at him. Stan shakes his head with another laugh, “Besides, it has been a while since we have all gotten together.” He shrugs and moves to sit back on the couch, subconsciously sitting closer to Bill than before.

“So, w-where is this p-puh-party going to be anyway?” Bill speaks up from his side of the couch, leaning slightly forward to address the other two in the room.

“Out at my family farm,” Mike answers happily. “That way we don’t have to worry about bugging any neighbors if things get a bit loud.” He winked suggestively and they all laughed. The conversation moved on to other topics after that and as Stan sat talking and listening to his friends he found himself excited for their little party. He wasn’t usually one to be interested in parties but he did enjoy time with his friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit shorter than usual but this is just a little transitional chapter. I'm working on the next one and it should be up in the next couple of days!


	23. Every Beautiful Thing

The Hanlon farmhouse was out on Witcham Road, on the very outskirts of town. The house was neat and well taken care of, as was the front yard and the big barn that sat behind the house. Stan had never been to Mike’s place before but as Bill turned the car down the long driveway, Stan’s face split into a big smile. Even from outside, the house gave off the same comforting aura that Mike himself always had. Bill parked the car next to Eddie’s and they got out. Stan could hear Richie laughing loudly through the screen door as he and Bill walked up the few steps to the house. Mike was already there, opening the door with a smile.

“Come on in you two! The others are already all here.” Bill gestured for Stan to go in first. Mike followed them both in, closing only the screen door to allow a nice breeze to filter into the home. The inside of the house had a warm, cozy feeling and Stan smiled again as he looked around. Mike moved past them, waving for them to follow him. He led them to the living room where their other friends were gathered around some sort of electronic equipment. Ben was reading what looked like an instruction manual and Eddie and Bev were trying to follow the directions he was giving them. Richie laughed again, looking up as Stan, Bill and Mike entered the room.

“Hey! Do either of you know how to get a karaoke machine to work?” Stan and Bill look at each other, looks of amusement matching on their faces. Mike looks between them and then to Richie. His own amusement shows on his face and he snorts.

“Let me see if I can figure it out. You two, there’s drinks and such in the kitchen,” Mike points to the brightly lit doorway to their right. “Help yourselves to anything you’d like.” He kneels next to the karaoke machine and starts messing with the buttons and knobs. Stan looks at Bill again and raises an eyebrow. Bill shrugs with a smile and they make their way to the kitchen. It’s not very big but it’s clean and bright, a large window over the sink letting in the last of the sunlight. Stan hums in quiet appreciation and Bill, seemingly on the same wavelength, nods his head.

“N-nice place he has h-here.” Bill shoots Stan a small smile and steps up to the fridge, pulling it open and peering inside. “Y-you want a drink, Stan?” Bill’s voice is quiet and he doesn’t look up so Stan moves to stand beside him. In a moment of courage, Stan places his hand on Bill’s back and leans in around him to look in at the assortment of drinks on the shelves.

“I’ll take one of those Sprites.” Stan replies, his voice just as quiet as Bill’s had been. Bill nods and grabs two Sprites. They straighten up and Stan lets his hand fall away from Bill’s back, taking one of the sodas with a smile and a murmur of thanks. A loud cheer sounds from the living room and Bill chuckles.

“I th-think they figured it out.” He smiles at Stan and turns to rejoin their friends. Stan watches as Bill reaches the arched doorway and turns back to him. “Y-you comin’?” He asks, lifting an eyebrow. Stan nods quickly and follows after him. Bill goes to the couch to sit, looking up at Stan and patting the seat next to him. Stan gladly sinks down onto the couch and opens his soda, taking a small sip. Eddie comes over and sits on the other side of Bill, engaging him in conversation. Stan leans back and quietly watches his friends.

Mike and Richie are sat on the floor next to the karaoke machine, talking excitedly about the song options and Stan knows that before the night is over they will all be subjected to Richie’s drunken singing. The thought has Stan shaking his head but he smiles and shifts his eyes to the recliner off to the side. Ben and Bev sit there together, Bev on his lap, their heads close together as they talk quietly. Stan smiles, sort of wistfully, at the happy couple and averts his eyes and ears to the two seated on the couch next to him. The conversation was regarding some English assignments that Eddie had and Stan’s attention drifted as he listened to them talking. Everyone else was fairly preoccupied so when Bev first stood up only Stan noticed, turning to look at her. She gave him a wink and cleared her throat loudly.

“If I could have all of your attention, please.” She said, addressing the whole room. Of course, all of them turned towards her, ready to hear what she had to say. “Thank you! Now, as you all know, Ben and I are engaged.” She paused, looking at each of them in turn. “But, what you don’t know is that we have finally decided on a date.” She smiled widely at them before turning to pull Ben up next to her. He grinned affectionately at her and wrapped an arm around her waist.

“Well don’t hold us in suspense! When is it?” Richie’s loud voice broke the silence and Eddie slapped his arm lightly. Bev laughed but continued.

“We decided on January 24th that way we have about three months to prepare for it. It’s going to be pretty small so we really don’t see the need to drag out the planning.” She grinned up at Ben, “Besides, we don’t want to wait too much longer.” Bev rose up onto her tiptoes and pressed a kiss into Ben’s cheek.

After Bev’s announcement, Mike grabbed a bottle of champagne to toast to the couple and their upcoming wedding. The mood shifted comfortably back into casual as Eddie pulled out a stack of games and Richie and Bill picked out some music. The party had officially begun.

* * *

Amusement was warring with concern as Bill watched the highly intoxicated performance of Stan and Richie singing together. He had watched in shock and awe as Stan had matched every shot that Richie had taken with hardly a wince. Meanwhile, Bill had been nursing just one beer for the better part of the last hour and was hardly buzzed at all. Ben and Eddie were sat on the couch with him, neither one drinking as they were the designated drivers. The expressions on all of their faces varied from amused and affectionate from Ben, open-mouthed embarrassment from Eddie, and concerned amusement from Bill. Ben was, of course, watching as Bev performed what appeared to be an interpretive dance that didn’t match the song that was being sung loudly.

Mike, who couldn’t have been much more buzzed than Bill, was sitting on the floor laughing and clapping in support of the dance. As the song came to an end, Bev finished off with a bow that almost sent her face-first into the floor. It was Ben who called it to an end. He got up and maneuvered Bev onto the couch where he had been sitting and she slumped over against the arm, giggling quietly into it. Richie and Stan had already started another song and, though their singing was still loud, it had become more slurred. Eddie shared a look with Bill, shaking his head in exasperation before standing up. He lifted Bev’s legs to stretch them out onto the rest of the couch and went to collect his incredibly drunk boyfriend. Ben pulled him to a stop.

“I think Bev and I are going to stay here tonight but you’re welcome to take our car home if you want,” Ben told him as he gestures to Bev’s now sleeping form on the couch. Eddie nods thoughtfully but instead of answering, he directs a question at Bill.

“Are you good to drive or do you want me to take you and Stan home?” Bill looks down at the almost empty beet bottle in his hand.

“I’ve h-had just this one b-beer so I’m not r-really that buzzed,” He pauses, thinking it’s better to be safe than sorry, “but it m-might b-be better if you c-could drive us.” Eddie is already nodding in agreement.

“Okay, cool. We’ll just take Bill’s car then.” With that figured out, they say their goodbyes to Mike as he carefully lifts Bev into his arms to carry her to the spare room. Ben helps Eddie and Bill get the other two into the car and bids them farewell before heading back inside, presumably to help Mike clean up a bit. Bill climbs into the back seat with Stan as Eddie pulls carefully out of the darkened driveway.

The drive back to Stan and Bill’s house is quick and quiet, the only sounds are Richie’s rumbling snores from where his face is pressed against the window and the small laugh that Eddie gives when Stan leans his head against Bill’s shoulder. Eddie meets his eyes in the mirror and smiles as if he knows some big secret.

Eddie pulls the car up in front of their dark house and Bill opens his door, the cool air swirling into the car and making Stan scrunch his face up in indignation. Bill chuckles softly and grabs Stan’s arm gently.

“C-come on, Stan. L-let’s get you inside wh-where it’s w-warm.” Stan groans at him but scoots slowly over so Bill can help him out of the car. As soon as Stan is fully out and standing wobbly on the curb, Bill leans back into the car to say goodbye to Eddie. “See y-you tomorrow, Eddie. Let m-me know when y-you two get home, okay?” Eddie nods and waves as Bill closes the door. The car drives off down the quiet street while Bill turns back to Stan. He has to help him up the front walkway and the porch stairs.

“Don’t move,” Bill tells Stan sternly, quickly unlocking the door and helping Stan inside. Stan wobbles on his feet as they walk through the door and Bill throws an arm around him to steady him. Stan turns towards him in the same moment, mumbling something about locking the door and they find themselves nearly chest to chest. Stan sways forward, bringing them even closer. He blinks slowly up at Bill and suddenly, Bill is hyperaware of his heart pounding.

“You have beautiful eyes, Bill. I like looking at them.” The words come out slurred but a slow smile works its way onto Bill’s face. An odd look crosses Stan’s face as his eyes move down to Bill’s lips. He sways again, eyes still locked on Bill’s mouth. Bill sees the look of determination in Stan’s eyes just before the shorter man steps into his chest, his lips pressing against Bill’s. The kiss is soft and sweet and slightly clumsy due to the amount of alcohol in Stan’s system and then it’s over. Stan sighs happily and leans his head against Bill’s chest. Bill’s eyes are gentle but still slightly shocked as he looks down at the sleepy drunk. A small, sad smile replaces the shock on his face and he very gently moves Stan away from him. Stan doesn’t even bother to open his eyes and Bill sighs slightly.

“Alright, l-let’s get you to b-bed.” Bill carefully guides Stan down the hallway to his room and sits him on the bed to help him get his shoes off. As soon as he's free of his shoes, Stan curls up on top of the perfectly made bed and falls asleep almost instantly. Bill grabs the quilt folded neatly at the foot of the bed and tucks it around Stan’s lightly snoring form. Bill grins at the many birds displayed on the quilt and his hand lingers for a moment on Stan’s shoulder.

“Goodnight, Stan. Sleep well.” Bill whispers the words as he heads back out into the hallway, softly closing the door behind him. He leans against the closed door, a hand drifting up to gently touch his lips where Stan had kissed him and with another soft sigh, he moves to his own room, leaving Stan to his dreams.


	24. Dissolve in the Sky

Stan was woken by sunlight slanting in through his window and falling across his closed eyelids. His head pounded dully and he groaned, rolling away from the bright light. He pulled his pillow over his head to block the light but couldn’t block out the pounding. He laid there for another moment trying to will the pounding away before giving it up. _Coffee, that’s what I need. _With another groan, Stan sits up on the edge of his bed. His eyes barely open, he gets to his feet and stands there for a moment. He takes a somewhat unsteady step to his door before shuffling out into the hallway. He knows the house enough to walk through it with his eyes closed and with eyes still squinting, he makes it into the kitchen. He grabs his favorite mug and sets it down next to the coffee pot, already on and hot. Stan yawns widely and grabs the creamer out of the fridge, pouring a good amount into the mug. He sets the creamer back into its usual spot and shuts the door. Just then, a small clearing of a throat draws Stan’s attention and he turns around, causing his head to pound again.

“Morning, Stan.” Bill’s voice sounds pleasant and gentle and Stan smiles despite the headache.

“Good morning, Bill. Thanks for making the coffee.” Stan turns back to make his cup, he takes it to the table and sits across from the redhead. He takes a sip of his coffee and instantly feels better. He glances up and sees Bill watching him with a somewhat strange expression. Stan takes another drink, wrapping his hands around the warm mug. “What’s up, Bill? It looks like you have something on your mind.” Bill’s eyebrows go up and he looks slightly confused and nervous.

“How m-much do you re-remember from luh-last night?” It’s a simple question but it sets Stan’s teeth on edge. Did he do something last night that was inappropriate? Bill doesn’t seem angry but that doesn’t really clear everything up. Stan sets his mug down and holds it tightly.

“Umm, well… I guess I remember drinking a bit much,” Enough to make Stan’s head pounding a bit in the sunlight coming in through the window. “and Richie and I did quite a bit of karaoke.” Stan pauses, thinking and taking another drink. “I’m pretty sure Eddie brought us home and…” Stan stops suddenly, his eyes going wide. He looks up at Bill and remembers exactly what he might have been referring to. Stan had kissed Bill last night. Stan’s mouth falls open, still staring at the redhead across from him. “Oh my God…” Stan’s heart is beating so fast, he feels the need to hold it inside his chest, one hand on the heart and the other covering his open mouth. “Oh my God, Bill, I’m so sorry! It didn’t mean anything, I swear! I shouldn’t have had so much to drink, I’m so sorry.” Stan gets up from the table quickly and notices a look of sadness and disappointment pass over Bill’s face. Stan looks away, shameful of what could very well be the end of their friendship. He couldn’t blame Bill for being disappointed. They had gotten to a place where Bill should be expecting more from Stan than to get wasted and make a fool out of himself. Mumbling another apology, Stan hurries from the room, grabbing a sweatshirt and the keys by the door. He slips on some slippers and heads out the front door, heading straight for his car.

* * *

Bill watches Stan leave the room and jumps slightly at the front door closing. He’s surprised at himself for how hurt he is by Stan’s obvious dismissal. He should have known better than to get his hopes up that the kiss had meant anything to Stan. Bill stands slowly, grabbing his mug of finished coffee and Stan’s half-empty one. He takes them to the sink and washes and dries them carefully. He sets them back in the cupboard and stares blankly at the counter. Bill’s feelings are in turmoil and he sits back at the table, staring out the window.

He had been starting to feel things about Stan that he’d never felt before. Things that he thought maybe Stan was feeling as well. The most shocking realization was Stan so obviously didn’t feel the same things Bill was beginning to feel. Bill is feeling even more lost now than he was when he ended things with Audra. Bill buries his face in his hands. Could he really be feeling this for his best friend and roommate? When did these feelings become so real? And what is he supposed to do now that it’s not reciprocated? Bill uncovers his face and reaches for his phone, wanting to call Stan in hopes of recovering what went wrong. Instead, he sees a new message blinking on the screen. It’s from her. Audra. She has a few things that are Bill’s and wants to return them. In a moment of weakness he offers to come over and see her and without thinking of the mess he’s in now, gets up and goes to his room to get dressed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello people! It's been a long time since I've added a chapter but it has been a very difficult time for me since July 2020 where I actually had an aneurysm. It took me a while to get back into feeling like myself and I've been wanting to write again for a while but now I'm back and I would love to get this fic going again... I hope you guys enjoy this chapter though it's a bit short as I get back into the writing process. Thank You!


	25. Hollow Bird

Stan is parked outside of Eddie’s apartment building, hands still clenched around the steering wheel and heart still pounding. He takes a few breaths in an attempt to calm himself down. He releases the wheel and reaches for his phone, the same phone he left on his bedside table. Stan clenches his eyes shut and leans his head back into the headrest.

“Damn.” Stan rubs his hands over his face. “Damn damn damn!” He slams his hands against the wheel but makes the decision to go knock on his best friend's door. He gets out of the car and hurries up the stairs to the second floor. He stops in front of apartment 29 and knocks twice. Stan paces in front of the door, trying to figure out the best way to tell Eddie. It doesn’t take long for Eddie to open the door, clearly confused.

“Stan? What’s going on? Are you okay?” Eddie sounds concerned and Stan walks forward into the apartment. He wipes his palms against his pajama bottoms, turning back to Eddie as he closes the door. Eddie turns quickly back to Stan.

“I kissed Bill last night.” It’s better to rip the band-aid off instead of trying to find a better way to cushion the blow. Eddie’s eyes go wide and he freezes. Stan watches him for a moment before continuing to pace in the hallway. “It was right as we got home and it feels very fuzzy but I remember kissing him but I have no idea what he thinks of it. I guess he helped me get to bed since I woke up in my room under my quilt but God, Eddie, you have to help me. I basically ran out of the house before finishing my coffee.” Stan stops and looks at his friend, still staring open-mouthed. Stan stares at Eddie, pleading in his eyes.

“Wow… okay. Umm… Come on Stan.” Eddie walks forward to grab Stan and steer him into the small living room. He sits Stan down onto the couch and sits next to him, turned to face him. “Okay, Stan, I need you to tell me everything you remember.” Stan takes a deep breath, thinking back on the night before.

“I remember you drove us home and I vaguely remember walking up the stairs to the door. We went inside and I wanted to make sure the door was locked…” Stan pauses and covers his face with his hands. “I told Bill he had beautiful eyes.” Stan groans into his hands and uncovers his face, looking at Eddie. “Things get a bit muddy in my head but after I said that, I leaned forward to kiss him and I think I leaned into his chest after…” Stan pauses, trying to remember anything else. “And then I woke up this morning.” He finishes and looks at his friend. Eddie looks like he wants to smile but seems to understand the way Stan is feeling.

“So you ran out of the house after realizing the kiss happened?” Eddie asks politely. Stan nods his head and looks down at the carpet.

“When I remembered, I told Bill I was sorry and that it didn’t mean anything, that I was just so drunk. Bill looked disappointed and I almost fully ran out of the house. I didn’t even grab my phone.” Stan rubs his face again.

“Hmm.” Stan looks up at Eddie, who is now tapping his chin, and looks fully in deep thought. Stan waits for his friend to come up with some kind of advice for him. “I think you should go back home and try to talk to Bill about it.” Stan is already shaking his head but Eddie stops him. “Stan, you care about Bill, right?” Stan looks at Eddie before nodding his head. “Okay then. You have to talk to him and I think it’s this type of moment that you have to come clean to him about your feelings.” Stan’s eyes go wide.

“No no no… I don’t think I should be doing that right now!” Stan’s voice sounds panicked and Eddie grabs both hands and looks into his eyes.

“Listen, Stan. I think now is the best time to be coming clean and I know it’s hard to expose how you feel but if you don’t do it now you are going to be in so much more pain.” Stan stares at him, looking away from him and pulling his hands out of Eddie’s.

“Okay, Eddie.” Stan says quietly, “I’ll tell him how I’m feeling.” He stands up, looking at Eddie’s face. “But if it doesn’t go well, I will be coming back over to shove it in your face.” Eddie smiles at him and stands up to hug Stan.

“Let’s hope it goes well, Stan.” They hug each other tightly and Stan leaves. It feels like the drive home takes no time at all and he sits in the driveway, staring at the house. Stan exhales and leaves his car. He goes up the stairs and opens the door. It’s quiet and Stan hangs his jacket up.

“Bill?” Stan calls out to his roommate, looking in at the kitchen and living room. Seeing no one, he heads down the hallway. Both bedrooms are closed and Stan sees a note on his door. He grabs it off and reads Bill’s writing.

_Had to step out. Be back later. Bill_

Stan rubs a finger over the words and sighs. He goes into his room and checks his phone, seeing a couple of messages from Eddie. Basically encouraging Stan to come clean and to let him know what happens. Stan doesn’t answer and sets the phone back down. He sits and stares at the wall for a second before sighing again. He gets up and goes to the bathroom to take a shower. It’s a long shower as Stan practices what he’ll say to Bill when he comes home. He gets out of the shower and gets dressed. He straightens out the bedspread and refolds the quilt. Still no sign of Bill, Stan goes out to the living room to curl up with a book and wait.

A couple of hours later, Stan hears the door opening. He sets the book down and jumps up, heading out of the living room.

“Hey, Bill, I need to talk to you-” Stan freezes in the hallway, looking at Audra standing next to Bill. Stan blinks a couple of times. “Oh, hey Audra.” She waves shyly at him and Stan looks at Bill. The redhead rubs his neck and looks like he’s avoiding eye contact. “Well, umm, we can talk later then.” Stan turns away from them and goes to his room, closing the door and leaning against it. He closes his eyes and tries to keep the tears at bay. He pulls out his phone and texts Eddie who instantly texts back to tell him to come back over. Stan pulls himself together, taking a shaky breath before leaving his room again. He walks quickly down the hallway to the front door to grab his keys. Bill comes out of the living room.

“Where are y-you going?” Bill looks like he has more to say and Stan looks him in the eyes as if the hurt he feels could be shown plainly to the man in front of him.

“I’m going over to Eddie’s. Have fun with Audra.” Stan turns quickly and leaves the house again. Bill reaches for Stan but he’s already gone. The look in Stan’s eyes has Bill shivering. Not sure what else to do, Bill turns slowly and goes back to the living room. He sits back down with Audra to watch the movie and she gladly curls up next to him. Bill isn’t paying attention to whatever movie they’re watching but instead his thoughts are all on Stan’s hurt-filled hazel eyes.


End file.
